


Melodies of Sky

by snowywing



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M, Parallel Universes, more characters will be tagged later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-22 00:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 82,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3709073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowywing/pseuds/snowywing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow, Tsuna was trapped in the body of his other self who just had committed suicide in a parallel world...Without his Family and his title as a future Mafia Boss, what would he choose between being a "normal" one and following the old path to claim his heirdom from his younger brother in this world? R27, Guardians x 27, hint all x 27...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning

 

 

 

It was a cacophonous din around him. Sounds pounded on top of one another making it impossible to distinguish one from another. Everything was so dark. A soul sucking all consuming tangible darkness that seemed to weigh in on him. For a moment, he thought that he was blind. Then, from the corner of his eye, there was a movement, a flash of gold, a thread of reflected orange color. Immediately, he turned rushing off in the direction of where the colors, the one bit of light, had disappeared.

His heart was beating rapidly, his chest restricted in barely restrained panic. Thoughts and conjectures flashed across the front of his mind, working furiously to figure out what was going on. The last think he could consciously remember was dozing off during his paper work, but that didn't explain…

It was too noisy. Unbearably and skull piercingly noisy. The sounds felt like they were ricocheting around inside his skull and he couldn't think. He couldn't concentrate!  _Stop screeching_! He shouted mentally, clutching his head, struggling to keep his mind clear against the deafening blare of unintelligible sounds.

Something cool gently wrapped itself around his right palm and pulled his hand forwards a moment after.

"Mukuro? Is that you?" Tsuna asked uncertainly, scrunching up his brow. "Mukuro, if this is your illusion, I don't think it's a bit amusing! Get out of my dream!"

The darkness engulfing everything may have left him as good as blind, but Tsuna could sense something familiar in the presence of whoever was pulling him along. The grip was kind enough and he couldn't sense any hostility so he let himself be dragged along.

However, all of his questions seemed to fall on deaf ears, much to his growing irritation. Just as his frustration was begging to peak and he was ready to yank his hand back and refuse to move until this person that was dragging him along gave him a proper explanation as to what was going on he was distracted. There was a crack in the darkness.

It was just a small one at first, a small discrepancy in the endless darkness. Then it began to spread. The cracks branched out, snaking across the darkness. Each significantly larger and wider, forcing their way open. Rays of light muscled their way through heading in his direction.

Tsuna didn't even realize that the cool sensation had left his hand. Instead, he was brought out of his shock momentarily when he felt a soft touch on his forehead, as though someone had pressed a kiss there.

"This time, please live a happy normal life, my beloved descendant," a velvety voice whispered gently, dissipating in the ocean of noises before it could reach Tsuna's ears.

"What-" was the last gasp to escape his lips as the darkness shattered and he was consumed by brilliant white light.

 

..

.

.

"We're very sorry Ma'am, but as you can see, he is gone.…"

"No! NO! My son, my son isn't, isn't…Please, please save him! Doctor, I'm begging you,  _please.._.He's my son, PLEASE!"

The sounds were the first thing to fade into his consciousness. His eyelids were heavy and it was slow work pushing them open. Nothing but an expanse of white met his vision when his lids finally peeled back. His entire body was stiff. Every inch of his being felt out of use and itched to be stretched. There was no longer the din of noise filling his ears, only the steady beep of a machine to his right. Tsuna had been in enough hospital rooms in his time to wager a guess as to where he was.

Something in his peripheral vision moved, and he heard a high-pitch voice cry out to him.

"TSUNA! You're…You're alive! Oh my Goodness, you're alive!"

He was taken aback at the sight of two slender arms wrapping around his neck and tugging him back on the blanket beneath.

"…Mom?" His voice was husky as though he hadn't used his vocal cords for a long time. Why was he even in the hospital to begin with? And why was his mother here? Where was everyone?

Tsuna shook his head, still trying to work through the fog in his mind. "Why am I here, mom? Where is everyone?"

But his mom didn't answer him, she only cried harder instead. Her grip on his shoulders tightened as if she was trying to squeeze him to death and didn't intend to let go even after that.

Beside him, the man in white coat was gaping, eyes wide. "Impossible, this is truly impossible!"

 

.

.

.

 

To be completely honest, Tsuna was neither a pessimistic person nor an optimistic person. He walked through life balancing on the line between both of them.

His motto: Always find a good side in bad situation and prepare for worse.

Not the worst, because he had learned a long time ago through copious amounts of pain and stress that there was no such thing in his life. The world seemed to enjoy finding new inventive ways to screw him over so it could laugh at his misery so he really shouldn't be too surprised or terrified to discover that somehow he had not only been stuck in a parallel world but also trapped in the body of another him who had just committed suicide, should he?

Nope. Life was screwed up, whether you were a 23-year-old Mafia Boss or a near-death teenager.

 _I must have done something really terrible in a previous life_ , Tsuna thought belatedly,  _Maybe I murdered a god or something?_  He sighed loudly, feeling more restless than ever.

It had been only about a week and he was already absolutely exhausted and bored out of his mind.

He had been made to go through a variety of various tests which had been performed by a bunch of devils disguised as doctors who muttered technical nonsense to each other all the while. The doctors tried to hide the odd gleam in their eyes when they looked at him but oh, Tsuna was too familiar with this type of expression. A certain sadistic tutor of his as well as a certain maniacal scientist always seemed to have that same glint in their eyes whenever their evil minds bloomed with evil schemes and the prospect of trying something new... No, he didn't want to be a guinea pig at all, thank you very much.

Honestly, Tsuna was completely surprised when he was able to persuade his mom to get him out of the hospital as soon as possible…

…Only to walk through the door of some therapist named Nezu, who insisted that he suffered from OCD and depression. The man had then proceeded to launch into a full speech about the beauty of life, sympathy, passion, love, etc, etc…Seriously, what was wrong with that guy? The man was even worse than Hayato with his over involved teaching methods! Sometimes, due to all his fatigue and irritation, he had almost snapped back in his therapist's face with what he really thought about what the man was saying, but each time he had managed to reign himself in. After all, dealing with meaningless words was easier than being thrown in a psychiatric hospital for his other self's attempted suicide. And if all these things helped to ease his mother's tears, then so be it.

Rolling over the edge of his bed, Tsuna carefully lifted up his left arm in the process. Much to his dismay, he still felt a jolt of pain shoot down his body. A groan escaped his mouth and for a minute, he held his breath as his arm throbbed painfully and the burning feeling intensified. Snatching some painkillers from the brown bag next to him, Tsuna quickly gulped down 2 pills without water. It was difficult at first but he managed to get them down in the end.

A few moments later, he slowly lay down on the bed, face making contact with the soft pillow beneath him. Shifting his body slightly to get into a more comfortable position, he stared thoughtfully at his left arm. The bandage wrapped around his wrist was stained with blood, asking to be replaced. He did have 20-some oddstitches in his left arm after all.  _Just my rotten luck_ …He thought dejectedly.

There were a handful of scars scattered all over his upper arm, no doubt from the past. These pale pink marks told him much more than anyone could, but he just really didn't want to dig any further.

Because it was not his life. He shouldn't interfere with it. He could end up just making more trouble.

Because all he wished for right now was to be able to return to his world, to see his family again.

They must be worried about him. They would have searched for some way to come and get him. So, why was there a feeling that it would never happen? Was this terrifying premonition coming from his fear or…his intuition?

Trembling a little, Tsuna immediately shut his eyes, his head burrowing deeper into the pillow. _I miss you guys. I really, really miss you…_

 

_._

.

.

 

"Tsuna, do you want to go back to school tomorrow?" His mother asked over the dinner table, grabbing his attention immediately.

Tsuna looked up from the pasta on his plate, his expression giving nothing away. He watched as his mother started to fidget on her seat under his gaze. She was clearly anxious but was trying her best to hide it, though failing. Even so, it was not the problem that he was currently concerned about.

"School?" He repeated uncertainly, putting down his fork next to his plate.

"Yes, school! I-I think it's time for you to go back to school. It's your first year in high school after all, surely you wouldn't want to miss out on too much. A-And you have to keep up with your classmates, right?" Again, his mother tried to break the eye contact. Despite the excitement in her voice, one could have easily pointed out that it was blatantly fake. "I know your wound isn't fully healed yet, but you are a fast healer. The doctor said so. A-And don't you want to see your friends again after such a long time? I'm sure they've missed you so much!"

Now Tsuna actually quirked an eyebrow at this.  _Friends, huh?..._ He recalled these last few days and found not a single memory of a phone call, let alone somebody paying 'him' a visit at all. So either 'his' so called friends had coincidentally been too busy to even remember 'him' or 'he' had none of them in the first place. Sadly, the latter was by far the more reasonable and fitting of the two. And here his mother was, believing that her son had friends. It confirmed some of his suspicions though. 'His' mother hadn't been close with her son. He could catch sight of guilt in her eyes whenever she thought that he wasn't watching her. And her caring behavior, somehow it was too forceful, as if she wasn't used to showing this type of affection and concern.

Nevertheless, he response with a quick nod, "You're right, Mom." He noted how his mother's eyes lit up at that answer and swore he heard a relieved sigh slipping past her lips.  _You don't want your son to be around that much, mother?_  was all he thought before abandoning his meal, having completely lost his appetite.

 

 

.

.

.

 

Despite the outwardly stoic expression he had composed his face into, Tsuna found his stomach flipping up in nervous and anticipation as he took his very first step through the gate of Namimori High School. This whole thing just was just so strange to him! Truth be told, he had never had a chance to attend high school.

Tsuna could though still recall the day after his graduation from middle school. He had flown straight to Italy and from then on his days had been full of training and preparing for the ceremony. Even after officially claiming the title as Vongola Decimo, he hardly had any time to think about anything but his Family and how to avoid the endless paperwork at any cost.

There had been no point in enrolling him in high school either. They couldn't teach him anything outside of typical knowledge and Reborn could teach him all of that. High school couldn't teach him anything that would be useful in a practical sense in the underworld. There was the factor of time to be considered as well. In terms of necessity meeting with potential allies was more important than sitting at some boring class, doing nothing but staring out the window at clouds in the sky and counting down the seconds until the bell. What could he say? His job was time consuming, but well worth the effort when he was with the ones he loved, who he knew loved him back too.

Overall, it was… weird to think that he would someday be coming back to a place where he certainly held neither memories nor emotions.

Fifteen minutes and thirty seconds later, Tsuna didn't know how he could even bring himself to be surprised with the situation anymore. It was not rare to have his hopes shattered to pieces. That had happened before under many circumstances. Honestly, he should have foreseen that this would be coming, considering all the signs had been scattered around for the last few days. Still, he felt sadness and dare he say, a little nostalgia...

Looking at the desk that was supposed to belong to him in the class, he saw how dirty it was with ink-like spots and messy script scribbled and scratched across the surface. The most prominent one was in the center. The big word  **"LOSER"**  could easily be seen by its size and highlighted color. He could hear the faint noises in vicinity, some mumbling, some sneers, but mostly snickers. Behind him, the voice of his homeroom teacher called out impatiently, "Tsuna, the class is beginning. Quickly take your seat now!"

Tsuna suppressed the urge to roll his eyes upward, before turning back and said slowly lest his words be deemed harsh and inappropriate, "I'm sorry, sensei, but my desk is written all over. May I take another one, please?"

The said teacher disregarded him with a scowl, "How many times I have to hear the same thing from you? I've already told you to keep an eye out for your belongings, or is it that your little brain  _can't_  understand it? Now, take your seat!" The teacher grumbled under his breath something that sounded like " _stupid_ " and " _trouble,_ " which raised more laughs from some corners of the class.

But not in the area where Tsuna was currently standing. For some reason, the students around him all slightly trembled as a chill washed over them. As if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees all of a sudden. Only when a certain brunet sat down quietly did the strange feeling gradually disappear, though it was still enough to make one's hair stand up on the back of their neck.

 _So much for the first impression._..Tsuna thought bitterly, trying very hard to keep his anger at bay.

 

.

.

.

 

At the sight of four male students surrounding him, each wearing a duplicate expression of smugness, Tsuna couldn't help but question whether it was his face that screamed  _"Perfect victim."_  Or was it some other damn part of him that was putting up the neon sign  _"Hey! I'm a weak one! Please come and bully me!"?_  Because, really, a simple walk to go back to class was not supposed to be difficult, right? Apparently it was for him.

After the ringing bell signaled the lunch break was beginning, he had succeed in finding a half-hidden bench next to a thick green bush to enjoy his bento. Tsuna had picked this place because it looked private and unused, but it looked like he was more popular than he thought….

On his way back to his classroom, he met his bullies, again, and was shoved to a vacant classroom.

Tsuna averted his eyes around, determinately looking for a safe escape route. He found none. The only way to go out was blocked by these students who certainly weren't going to accept peace talk as an option. Once again, he felt uncomfortable in this weak state. While his intuition still fully active, his body was untrained and too slow to respond as expected, leading him being shoved into this vacant classroom.

"Well, well….If it isn't the biggest loser in our school….or our century, right, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Indeed. It's good to see you again, Shorty. I've really missed your wallet and your beating sessions ~... OUCH!"

One of the boys crouched down ungracefully under force of Tsuna's sudden, rough kick. His plan was simple: knocked down one and while the others were in shock, made it quick and rush out of the dangerous zone.

At the end of step one, Tsuna looked in satisfaction at the stunned faces of his bullies and how they gaped at him like some silly goldfish.  _Surprise factor_   _rocks!_

However, the entire problem was step 2: running away at all cost. As he put part two into action Tsuna soon realized that he had make a very fatal mistake. He didn't count his infamous clumsiness! At the last minute his own legs betrayed him and as the result Tsuna tripped over his feet and fell to the floor. It hurt and he let out a yelp of pain, clenching his teeth tightly. His injured arm had the most painful though, especially where the wound was.

He heard derisive laughs coming from behind him and took in a sharp breath as his hair was painfully pulled backwards. His head jerked up immediately and he automatically angled it a bit to lessen the pain and catch sight of his attacker.

It was the one he had kicked.  _Shit_.

"Now, somebody must be feeling gutsy today. But Dame-Tsuna will forever be Dame-Tsuna. Tripping over his feet? Wow, how stupid can you get!"

"Hey, wrist-slit freak, are you dead?"

He didn't know who said that, because his attention was solely on the bastard whose hand was pinning him down at the moment.

 _How dare he? No one deserves to be treated like this! Damn it to hell, I will not let this to happen to me again in this time_! A growl slipped out of his mouth as his barely controlled anger slipped out.

" _Don't touch_   _me_." The words came out sharply and icy.

His face was calm, he wasn't shaking with anger, and his eyebrows weren't even furrowed. But he suddenly looked so threatening, even with his currently position, the boy on top of him began to feel extremely uneasy. When the boy looked back to his eyes, the image of honey-orbs mixed with a blazing shade of orange made him shudder for reasons he couldn't quite understand. Tsuna didn't need to be outwardly angry, the fury behind his eyes was enough to make the boy want to shrink into a corner and disappear.

The pressure on his back vanished as the boy swiftly moved away, retracting his hand. Tsuna instantly sat up and about to stand when other voice cut in. "Whoa, whoa. What happened? You can't handle this pathetic failure? You gotta be kidding me!"

"Ignore him," the third boy chimed in, "We can have all the fun!"

Tsuna barely dodged a punch thrown at him, but with more and more kicks and punches coming at his side, he had no choice but to curl up in defense. Gradually he lost his conscious.

 

.

.

.

 

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at a familiar while ceiling and his mother sleeping by his bedside.  _Oh crap_.

He sat up reluctantly; the pain in his chest bothered him a bit.

 _I look like a mummy_ , Tsuna sniffed with dry humor as he saw more bandages wrapping around his arms and touched the band-aid on his cheek.  _Well_ , he thought, checking himself over,  _at least there is no rib broken._

His mother still slept peacefully despite all the noises he made.  _She must be very tired,_  Tsuna thought, hand reaching out to wipe a tear left on the corner of her eye. The moist liquid lingered stubbornly on his fingertip, as though it was trying to linger on his heart as well.

A sudden feeling of guilt assaulted him, left him no room to even breathe properly.

He shouldn't be here.

He shouldn't be the one who received all 'his' mother's love while her rightful son had none. He didn't know why, but he was just sure that the Tsuna of this world had had none.

Tsuna stared through the open window. The sky was falling into dusk now, the fiery hue of the sun fading behind the city. Red light painted over everything, casting long shadows behind the tall buildings. Somehow, his chest tightened at the sight. His mind slowly drifted up to the thought of his Family. The more he dwelled on it, the lonelier he felt. Up until now he had forgotten what it felt like, being lonely that was.

His life had changed so much since his first encounter with Reborn.

But this 'Tsuna' never had a chance like him.

Even being 'him' only a short time, he knew that 'his' life was hell. People pushed 'him' around and made fun of 'him'. People disregarded 'him' with cold shoulders and cruel words and intentions. 'He' had no friends, and his only closest living relative, 'his' Mom, only started to show affection to 'him' after the suicide attempt. But then it was too late. 'He' had disappeared, replaced by a stranger.  _Him_.

He had to wonder why he was here of all places. He liked to think that it had a real reason rather than being just a twisted joke of Fate. Maybe now he had finally found that reason.

To make 'his' life better.

Then, he could surely come back home, couldn't he?

 


	2. Mask

.

.

.

_At the age of 15, he laid his hands on his very first mask. A very posh Colombina one given to him by the best mascherari in Italia as a gift. It never crossed his mind that he would loose it at the first opportunity when wearing it at the Carnevale di Venezia._

_Later, he found that it was not reasonable enough to blame it on  his clumsiness, and so a fate of suffering in Hell in the name of training was just inevitable. On top of that, the foreboding statement from Reborn , "A mask is made for hiding. As a Boss, you should get used to them..." really made him want to think about nothing at all._

_At the age of 16, he was often seen stomping out of the conference room, slamming the door behind him. It was childish, he knew, for letting his anger got the better of him. But these people - the old members, squad captains - were insufferable. If they wanted him act "like a Boss", they should at least show him some respect! The offer of "help" from his guardians had never seemed this tempting... Just a small hint of approval from him and things would be in chaos, and that was exactly why that captivating plan was unusable..._

_One day, only when he went out on his balcony for some fresh air did he suddenly notice another presence beside him. Even the shadow cast by the fedora couldn't hide the gleam in those onyx eyes, and he heard familiarly smooth voice that sent shivers down his spine, "I see you didn't do well in your homework. Dame-Tsuna, how should I revise with you now, hmm?"_

_At the age of 17, almost everyday was a masquerade ball. To the major outside world, he was known as a reserved and collected future Boss. But to a much smaller world, he was still Tsuna- a Dame-student, a herbivore, a comrade, a "bunny", a friend, a brother, a Boss…-many nicknames based on the views of certain people. To him, this smaller world was all that mattered, and his mask never appeared when he was with them._

Now, his face lacked of any emotion, his chin raised up a little in defiance. Despite his small frame, he gave off an air of superiority beyond anyone elses in this cafeteria. Compared to him, the aggressive presences of the bully gang standing in front of him seemed insignificant . Under his cold gaze, their faces no longer maintained the cruel sneers and taunting looks.

His gaze fixed on the fat one – the leader. "I will not follow your orders, now or ever. Leave me alone." He stressed every word, standing tall with his back straight.

The fat one blinked rapidly for a long time. Then he burst out laughing so hard he was in danger of falling. The bully grinned maliciously. "Did I hear that right? The loser talked back at me! Man, we leave him alone a few days and he goes and grows a backbone. Guys, let show him  _who_  is in charge!"

With that being said, his fat body lunged forward, ready to beat the petite brunet up. He was expecting to bring him to his knees like usual, to crush that cheeky brat completely, it would definitely be exciting!

What he didn't expect was that possible scenario could only remain where it currently was - in his imagination.

Meanwhile, Tsuna focused on the opponent before him. The bully had a 'no intent to counter' basic stance, was the depend–on-strenght type, and too arrogant for his own good… It seemed that the boy was exactly the type that Reborn would call a juvenile delinquent.

But Tsuna knew he still had to calculate carefully. He would have only one chance to win against this match in his weak state. He cringed a little at this thought.  _If only I have my own body back_ … Fortunately, his instinct was still intact, or else he would be a dead meat by now.

Around him, people excitedly cheered the fat boy on.

"Bring him to knees!. Teach that failure a lesson!"

"Hey! You  _freak_!Too scared to fight like a man, huh? Or are you male at all, you girly!"

"Finish him!"

As he  _distractedly_  dodged another strike, Tsuna finally found what he was looking for: an open space for a counterattack. Instead of stepping back, his body leaned toward the fat boy, sliding to his side. His hand curled into a fist in preparation for landing a blow.

 The  fat boy,with his anxiety and incoming fatigue, didn't predict this kind of unexpected movement. It was too late for him to react in time. Not that he would have been able to do it anyway though.

Being hit by a swift yet precise punch right to the stomach, the fat one abruptly stayed still for a second before flopping down on the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut, following with a loud cry.

Silence reigned in the whole room, no one dared say anything. Some was too stunned to process what had happened, some totally lost their voice while the rest still felt like it was a dream…

However, all of their eyes eventually slowly drifted to the figure standing in the center of their circle. The said one neither raised a brow nor did he hold any expression. He just looked down at the fallen boy with a bored face then turned his back on him and gracefully walked off. The crowd immediately stepped aside, watching his departure.

Tsuna skipped his classes afterwards, spending his time in infirmary sleeping. He’d run out of his short stamina due to the match. A peaceful rest would be a bliss for his recovery. The only problem was that his mind couldn't seem to relax without the help of medicines, and once he woke up, it was hard to ignore the void in his chest.

God, he wanted to hear some noises, any noises, to put his concentration on somewhere else. He wanted to be able to escaped this silent world, to be distracted from the hollow feeling in his chest. To be reassured that maybe, maybe he was not  alone.

But Reborn had already told him that praying wouldn’t work. The wishes of people like them often went straight to Hell, with a hefty price as a payback. No more, no less.

His mask was still in place, attached to his face so that he could hide the weakness deep inside. Now, he had no strength as his back-up nor his guardians by his side, the only defense left for him was his will. He couldn't have it broken, or else that would be the end of him.

Catching sight of his right hand, Tsuna groaned at the white bandages wrapped around it. His hand was dislocated after that punch.  _Why is it always me?_ He never intended to put such much force into that one punch. It seemed like he still didn't know this body well enough to control it in a carefree way.  _Why is it that there’s no Sun-user around…? I start to feel like a masochist with all this white things…._

Well, he hoped that today incident would keep the bullies away from him for a while.

 

.

.

.

.

"May I help you?" Tsuna looked up, startled to see a black-haired woman smiling at him behind the counter. A blush reached his cheeks as he suddenly realized that he had unconsciously wandered too near to the flower shop. Quickly shaking his head in embarrassment, he stammered, " No, I-I just want to see-eh no, I mean, I’m just browsing around, that's all, sorry."

"Oh? Is that so? Have anything caught your attention? Lily is in the season, as you can see. Your girlfriend would be happy to receive one of those wonderful white blossoms. Roses are also the most favorite of all, of course, but it is too cliché." She chuckled lightly, pointing to a pot locating on the left corner. "This one…it is our new flower. They actually are not in season; we have them grown in greenhouse."

Tsuna felt his heart skip a beat. "They are beautiful," he commented.

"Indeed," the woman agreed with him, then on her hand magically appeared a posy of blue tiny blossoms, "Do you want some?"

Stunned, all he could do was standing there gaping, not knowing what to do. After some moments, his mind kicked in and he rapidly shook his head again, this time added some frantic hand motions. "No-no, I just want to window-shop. Besides, I don't have any money…"

Her sparkle eyes showed no intention of giving in. "It's okay. This is actually my special day and I just want to share it with another person. I guess that make you the lucky one. Here, consider it as a surprise gift." Putting the other hand on her stomach in a caressing manner, she said encouragingly.

Tsuna hesitated, but took the flowers. He bowed to the woman and thanked her sincerely. The fact that he managed to crack a smile at her truly was a feat. Nowadays, it was getting harder and harder for him to smile genuinely while the mask on his face was hardly ever removed.

On the way back home, he couldn't help but think about the last sentence from the kind florist. "I've seen you watching this flowers a lot. You should give them to the one you have in mind. There is no way she would deny such a lovely meaningful gift coming from such asweet boy like you . After all, the language of flower never fails to communicate heart to heart."

He had said nothing to her, because it was useless to correct this misunderstanding. The reason that he had been attracted to these particular flowers was that they represented his desire for his most cherished Family, not for a crush.

_Forget-me-not._

_Because I will always be right here waiting for you. So, please don't give up on me!_

 


	3. Forget -me- not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> Betaed by Terry nightstalker

 

.

.

.

It took Tsuna exactly thirty minutes and twenty seconds to realize that maybe, the florist was right. Maybe, he was a lucky one today. On a second thought, maybe his luck was based on other's miseries, which he chose not to care about right now.

From his hiding spot, he had a marvelous view on what happening on the scene nearby. Despite their advantage in numbers, the major crowd was being taken down one by one by a single man. No, a teenager, to be precise. They were struggling hard though. Shouting and swearing could be heard from the other end of the road. Yet they keep falling down, their efforts being in vain.

This was not a fight, this was what people might call a massacre.

And the teen - tonfas firmly in his hands - moved back and forth among the crowd as though performing a dance with a violent rhythm. His lips turned up a bit at the edges, forming a brief, microscopic smile. Even with this distance, there was no mistaking that the teen was enjoying what he was doing, striking and battling mercilessly .

It left Tsuna speechless how this image could bring him a sense of deja vu, from back in the day when he was a real adolescent. Only this time, he didn't want to run away at the first chance. Nevertheless, he shook faintly because of the anticipation running through his veins, and clutched his hand until the knuckles were white, unaware of the falling flower petals.

His eyes followed the black-haired-teen's every move with an intense gaze. Tsuna soon recognized the familiar object pinned to his sleeve: a bright red armband with thin lettering printed . How interesting. It meant that Hibari was currently in middle school...He himself was a high school student. Tsuna blinked in confusion,he hadn't expected that in this world he got a chance of being older than Hibari...  _Does that mean I am no longer the one who needs to add -san when calling his name, but it was actually Hibari's turn to do so?_

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. Well, a part of him involuntary felt exciting, but the other -more logical- part told him that he was asking for his own grave and that, no matter how long he waited, never in billions years would he see that happening. Let's not forget about the fact that Hibari had never called him anything but herbivore and omnivore in most situation or just a bunny in private.

Within a few minutes, the fight was all over, with the victory's light shining upon a certain individual. If it were another person, Tsuna would be surprised, but this was Hibari he was talking about, so he would expect no less... Hibari, the name  _alone_  meant pure terror and trauma for those who dared to cross his path and were lucky enough to survive to tell the tale. Never underestimate him, teenager or not.

Tsuna watched as Hibari swung his tonfas into a fast curve, splashing the remained blood off of his weapon. And then, he stumbled a bit…Yes, he definitely stumbled a bit, but quickly regained his balance and coolly walking away as if nothing had happened. Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure, his body unconsciously moved along the path of the prefect.

It seemed that the prefect was on one of his patrols around the town, with practically everyone trying to get out of his way and even some literally running away at the sight of him. Tsuna didn't pay much attention to his surrounding, though. The more he secretly observed, the more strange signs in the prefect he took notice of. From his tilted shoulder, his tenacious grip on his tonfas like he was making an effort to resist something…. Moreover, the shockingly small increase of doom aura he produced as he walked past the noisy crowd street.

It was a common knowledge that Hibari despised crowds, especially a noisy ones.

Tsuna continued to follow him into a small alleyway. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the prefect suddenly fall on the ground!.  _Now this is getting weirder and weirder…_ , he vaguely thought, legs already rushed over to the fallen. His footsteps became more reluctant and slower when he got nearer the teen.

Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Tsuna stayed very still for a moment for fear of being caught . He only saw a sliver of Hibari's face due to his position and the dim light cast down through the gap of two tall buildings above. It certainly was not enough!

Tsuna carefully reached out a finger, and poked the body next to him a little. No reaction.

Poking.

Poking.

Poking.

Still no reaction.

Tsuna took it as a good start to try something new, namely angling the unconscious body so that he could take a good look at him and inspect what was wrong. However, when he laid his hand on Hibari's shoulder, he immediately knew what the problem was. Even under the layer of fabric, there was too much heat radiated from his body to be considered normal!

 _He is running a fever_ …Tsuna realized, hand slipped up to touch the burning forehead of Hibari. Checking more closely, he also noticed the dotty dark-color spots scattered on the white shirt the prefect wore. Now Tsuna was officially terrified. Could it be...?

Without delay, he unbuttoned and pull open the shirt, revealing the bare chest.

Tsuna took in a deep breath as his suspicion was proven to be true, much to his horror. Wrapping around the upper chest of Hibari were loose bandages, already colored red by blood. It had to be the reason why he'd smelled the thick scent of blood in the air.

Chewing his lower lip thoughtfully, Tsuna quickly tugged his orange bag around, settling it on his thighs and pulling open the zipper. He glanced up at the wound as he worked and considered the chance of infected wound would be the cause of the fever in the first place.  _Very high_.

Finally, Tsuna stopped his searching and pulled free what he'd been looking for.

A half-full bottle of water, an unused handkerchief which his mother insisted him on keeping, and clean bandages. He had made a habit of carrying them around, just in case. It turned out a very good decision, indeed.

Firstly, he need to check the wound. Tsuna carefully removed the old, dirty bandages. He flinched at how badly it was : the mouth of the wound still opened and marked with the swollen, angry red color. On top of that, there was blood bleeding from the side of the cut.  _How could he still fight viciously in this state ?_  Tsuna darkly thought, somewhat angry without clear reason. It seemed that some things would never change, even in a different parallel world. Battle maniac would still be the perfect tag for the prefect no matter in what dimension.

Tsuna soaked the handkerchief with water and began to clean the wound, replaced the bandage with a clean one. After that, he was torn between the idea of resting the damp cloth against Hibari's burning forehead or calling an ambulance, since the wound certainly needed more than a proper check-up and not simple first-aid.

Yet in the end, he did nothing.

The smell of blood still lingered, faintly but easily noticed. It mixed with the scent of the slightly crushed blue flowers lying innocently next to him, making a strange perfume that was both alluring and real. Before Tsuna knew it, he'd already had his thumb trailed along the line of the prefect's face. It truly was a surprise that he didn't find surprised at his action at all...

Finger silently brushed the fervent skin, memorizing every details. Little by little, bit by bit. The face underneath his hand was still soft at the edges and unmarked by the dark world. This face underneath was so familiar yet so strange in the same time compared to the image of his Cloud Guardian engraving into his mind. No, not strange...It was just _younger_.

Deeply in thought, he didn't realize that the prefect had been awake. He only did when a hot hand suddenly grasped on his own.

"G- away." Tsuna blinked, his head tiled slightly as he heard a croaked voice.

"Pardon?"

"Fuc- off," was all Hibari responded weakly, his eyelids fluttering violently, trying to open more.

"Hervo- yo- are..." His voice was rough and hoarse, and Tsuna could see how the light in his eyes flared dangerously despite being mostly clouded in haze. Animality. Wariness. And most of all, the cold and unacquainted hint so clearly that almost so painful to see from that familiar grey orbs….

Hibari could never finish his sentence, because Tsuna's hand was already moving up...

After a second, the prefect had safely fallen into the la-la-land again, though this time more forceful, and perhaps a bit painfully, too.

That was also when Tsuna's brain finally kicked back into gear, and he scrambled over to Hibari's side. Panic shot through his entire body. Of all people, he had _knocked out_  Hibari, for the God's sake...  _Doom! Doom!_ He was  _so doomed!._  Now that he thought about it, who had undressed the teen beneath him and touched him and literally knocked him out of conscious when caught red-handed? Certainly not him,  _right,_ _ **right?**_

_Someone please tell me that all of this is just a dream...oh, please,PLEASE!_

_Oya, and you are the one who always call me a pervert~~_

_It is very unthoughtful act of yours, Dame –Tsuna. But a very good one. You should show who is the stronger in this kind of situation. Now go on for the next step-_

Tsuna didn't know why his evil mind had chosen this crucial time to imitate the voices of Mukuro and Reborn to taunt him, but he was sure it was annoying him to no end.  _Oh just STOP! you are not helping at all!_ Tsuna mentally screamed, scowling at his trembling bare hands. _Calm down! The damage was done and nothing could change it. Now  it is not the freaking time to be scared! If Reborn saw me in this state, he would shoot me down immediately! Or maybe I should kill myself , better to escaping this embarrassing moment first..._

Tsuna nearly jumped out of his skin when a melodious sound reaching his hearing. The anthem song of Namimori's middle school, one that he'd never forget. He quickly found a cell phone from Hibari's black jacket and hesitated to answer after a long glance at the name appearing on the screen.

"Hello...What? I'm just a nobody. No more, no less. Trust me, please. Uhm,I don't think Kyoya-san is in the mood or the state of talking . He is badly injured... No, Hell,I swear, I'm not the bastard who did it. Listen, you should come here quickly..."

He hung up after the second telling Kusakabe briefly where they currently were. Trusted him to know the way, and if he did not, Tsuna could happily choose not to mind. He want to spend more time with Hibari. It was the truth that he could not deny. Yet he hoped that the Disciplinary Committee's members could come here as soon as possible for Hibari's treatment, too. What complicated and conflicting emotions he got here...

Hibari's skin was still badly flushed and his breathing was a bit shallow, and Tsuna slowly slid his fingers into the prefect' hair to begin a slow caress and massage. He had done this for him several times before but this time the feeling was different. Hibari's body immediately tensed at first but slowly relaxed and Tsuna felt his own body releasing the tension built up from preparing for the job. Yes, some things definitely did not change, regardless of circumstance. . . .

.

.

.

Tsuna knew it was time for him to flee the scene. He really did. It was a supremely rare opportunity, he knew, to be near the prefect like that without any violence involved. But he shouldn't get in more trouble than he already had. Being caught next to a shirtless young man certainly didn't fall out of that category, especially as the said young man was Hibari.

Yet his heart told him otherwise….

After a minute, which to him seemed like a long time, he finally surrendered to the urges of his mind. Putting the blue flowers on Hibari's black jacket, he pulled out his own cell phone. Camera mode soon was activated, followed by a sharp Click sound. Then he pack all his belongings back to his bag, making sure nothing was left behind. By the time he finished packing, his ears picked some noises echoed across the walls.

It seemed like the DC members had finally found their way. Scowling a little, Tsuna tried to suppress the emerging frustration inside. With one last look at the unconscious face of the prefect, he turned his back and began to run, thus creating the chase that would forever be remembered in the history of the current DC's generation. Because the next morning, a whole certain DC's department suffered from the wrath of none other than their infamous leader, and leading to the biggest but futile hunt for a mysterious person who dared to provoke the demon of Namimori.

But at the moment, Tsuna was on the run, completely oblivious to the chaos he had caused for the future. Somehow, he got a feeling that he had signed his own death warrant , a very painful one of being bitten to death if Hibari ever found out about his unique picture.  _Is it really worth it?_  Tsuna clutched his cell phone tightly, a smile lighting up his entire face.  _Hell yeah!_


	4. the fallen sun and the solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> Betaed by Terry nightstalker

 

 

It felt like he was having some sort of heart-attack when he first met Kyoko. In a bad way though. His chest ached with raw emotion exploding inside, rushing through his veins. His body shook involuntary and his breath sped up with every heart-beat.

No butterflies. No heat-rising from exhilaration. Just plain and painful flips of his stomach at the sight of the girl.

Later, he realized that the emotions were anger, sorrow and maybe, some kind of uncontrollable yearning. Anger for what? Sorrow for what? He didn't know. But perhaps the yearning, even if it was tinted with despair, was because of love. After all, she still possessed her perfect looks and an angelic face that his old-self had fallen for, although it had turned out simply as a crush that happened a long time ago.

These strong feelings, lingered because even though the memories were lost the body still remembered, were dangerous. He almost lost himself in the waves of powerful emotion that wasn't even his own. So, from that day on, he avoided Kyoko at all costs...

Fortunately, she was in a different class. Except a few coincidental glances they briefly shared across the hallways, he hardly exchanged anything with her. He thought he could go on with his life that way till the day that he said farewell to this world.

That was what he'd planned, until today.

"So, what happened?" He asked, unsure of what to say. From the moment she appeared looking ready to collapse in front of his door house, he didn't know what to do. Was inviting her in a good idea? He mused again and quietly took a sip of his tea to calm down his confused mind. She didn't seem to hear his words, just silently sitting on the only chair in his room and leaving her mug untouched. As he counted to forty, her distant eyes finally gained some light.

"Can you come closer?"

He hesitated, but the pleading tone of voice and the desperate expression on her face convinced him. Rising up from his bed spot, he slowly made his way next to Kyoko.

Then, there was a hug. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist quickly, dragged him down to the floor before his currently poor reflexes could do anything to prevent the fall. He could only give out a surprised gasp as reaction at the sudden weight and the strangled words of the girl above.

"My brother...he-he-is -dead-"

 

 

.

.

She weakly forced out through the muffled sobs, her voice cracking. "Th-They said that he would make it through... But since the surgery was for something involving the brain, he-he never woke up. Not once." She closed her eyes, and tear began to fall down her pink cheeks.

"I didn't cry in his room. I believed he could hear me, or at least sense what I was feeling … Everyday I told him we would be there when he woke up. That he should rest so he coul heal. That he would be  _fine_. And I knew that he would…he was the strongest person I ever knew in the world! So, Why? Why he –he -?  **WHY**? -" Her fingers gripped on his sleeves so tightly it hurt, like he was the only stable thing in her crumbling, shattered world.

Maybe, he should hug her back. Maybe, he should soothe her with kind words, help her by being a man-like teddy bear...

If only his throat didn't burn, his jaw did not ache as malaise twisted in his joints and lower back.

In the end, he shifted a little and settled Kyoko more solidly against his body, and he closed his eyes.

For a long time, everything was noiseless. Everything was gone. And he did not know who was really in the position of seeking comfort here. . . .

 

 

.

.

 

He saw her off to the door at 5p.m that day. With the setting sun and new rising stars above, they stood side by side, letting the silence consuming their heart.

"Thank you very much for today," She began first, giving him a small smile. "It means a lot for me."

"You are welcome. And I'm so sorry for your loss."  _Truly sorry_.

When he was about to go into his house, she called out to him with a voice rough from crying:

"Wait!"

And wait he did. His body turned around to face her, his head tilted to the side with confusion written all over the features. "Yes?"

"I - actually, I came here today because…" Her already red eyes were filled with water again, and he could see how hard she tried to hide her anxiety. "I'm -I'm so sorry for what I've done to you!"

"…What…?"

"I -I -I'm sorry for not carefully considering your feeling that day...If I had known that you would ….would…" Her eyes flicked to his left arms where the scars still refused to fade. Within seconds, her expression crumpled as though she had caught sight of a monster. "I'm so sorry, really. I didn't know that you had to face bullies and - and i rejected your -...But I was so surprised that...that..."

She choked a little before looking at him with such a hopeful face, like a good child begging for forgiveness from their parent.

But Tsuna was not the one who could provide her such thing. No, he wasn't.

So he did not give her the wanted answer that he knew could bring them closer. He just stood there, watching her silhouette walk away until it disappeared from his vision.

Resisting the urge to sigh dramatically, he went back to his room.  _Where were they when 'he' needed those hands the most? What's the point of giving affection and showing regret and love after 'he' had already gone? Sometimes, people were just so cruel. . ._

 

_._

_._

_._

 

With his own eyes, he had witnessed the death of many people, willingly or unwillingly.

Those who deserved their downfall. Those who needed to disappear. Those who didn't fall into the categories but still got their life robbed away. He couldn't remember all of them, just knew well enough to hold his precious one's even closer so that one day he wouldn't wake up to find something—or worse, someone- missing.

Some would say that was an act of wisdom and care, but he knew it to be an act of cowardice. He just could not bear the thought of losing his precious one - it was a nightmare that turn reality.

How ironic it was that nowadays, it seemed like even a boxing match was much more dangerous than years in the underworld.

A few days after meeting Kyoko, Tsuna found himself standing alone in front of a tombstone on which was carved the name of Ryohei Sasagawa. Crouching down on his knees, he silently put the sunflowers in his hand down, one by one on the cold ground. The warm color of yellow flowers contrasted starkly with the white lilies and white roses, and other white flowers that he couldn't remmember the name.

Right, white flowers would be a proper choice. White for remembrance. White for mourning. But the sunflower had always been the one that his sun guardian liked most. Tsuna had a strong feeling that this person would like them, too.

"It's nice to meet you, Ryohei-san. Can I call your first name like that? You know, I used to call you that way. In my world, actually. It will be kind of weird to suddenly change it, right? I doubt that you can protest at the moment though…" He tried to joke, but failed miserably.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna for short. In my world- the parallel world - you are my Sun guardian in Vongola… Eh, I think we'll skip some of the explanations here. Long and boring story. You are usually not fond of them, aren't you? Always jumping to the end... Anyway, I prefer to label you in my world as a member of my Family. One of the most important people in the world... Well, funny, huh? Considering I'm sure that you don't even know who the hell I am…" He could taste the bitterness on the tip of his tongue, then made an effort to swallow it down.  _No such luck…_

he carried on talking afterwards, mostly about his Sun guardian. About how he always seemed to be in the state of full energy. About how he always sent him various kind of sunflowers after each mission in different countries. The way he fought with all of his strength in battlefields, and the way he treated those injuries with such extreme care and utter patience that some people didn't believe he could possess..

Somewhere back in his mind, a voice pointed out that he was rambling. He was very talkative today, compared to the normal days drowning in silence.

But today was not a normal day. Today was a special day. For a special person.

Or was it really what it was?

He barely knew anything to the one he was speaking to. In other words, they were just strangers to each other. He only dropped by to say a hello for god-know-what reason.

So, he refused to acknowledge the wet liquid lingering in his eyes right now. . .

 

.

.

.

 

Like the homeless, he wandered aimlessly after his departure from the graveyard, his vision blurring and twisting. He walked through countless streets, bumped into several people and nearly got hit by one or two of them before having some lovely contact with some parts of the hard-surface roads. When his footsteps were the only thing he could hear, he finally looked up to see the image of an old abandoned amusement park blocking his sight.

 _Kokuyo Land_.

As creepy as the place seemed to be, he ignored the warning sign nearby and instead landed loudly after a jump over the weak fences, thus beginning the exploration further inside.

The scenery didn't change much, he supposed, but certain points were missing. Gone was the remnants of his fight years ago: the hole Takeshi had made or the burning traces and collapsed rooms… All gone, because the fight had never happened. 

But for some reason, as the brunet opened a rusty door leading to a particular room, he half-expected to see something different , something resembling a mismatched-eye man sitting on the black leather couch, smirking in his trademark way; who would say something like, "Finally, you've caught me. Do you enjoy this illusion so far, Vongola?"

The the brunet would punch him in the face and hug him and later, maybe confess all of his loneliness.

In reality, there was nothing though.  _Nothing at all_. And that was what hurt the most.

The room was as empty as the rest of them, save for some light rays penetrating through the broken glass that made it brighter, emphasizing the fact that there was no inhabitants here - a room that used to be colored beautifully with full-bloomed pink sakura branches all over place.

Suddenly, his legs just couldn't hold him, couldn't stand firmly on the ground anymore. He crouched down awkwardly, his back leaning against the dirty wall in an attempt at finding support. This was  _too much_. Everything was  _too much_  to bear.

 _Why me? Why me? Why this happens to me? WHY ME?..._ He desperately wanted to scream out loud over and over again until he got an answer, but the sounds coming out through his lips were only half-nonsense and half- sobbing. Curling up into a ball, he screwed his eyes shut tight, hoping fervently that somehow if he kept his existence to a minimum, he could just shrink and disappear. He couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't bear it any longer. Not for a second.

Because there was no such thing called "home" anymore. No way back home, no place he belonged, was loved or to love. No way back home, except in his imaginary land or in his far-off dreams and memories. No more, not in any  ** _real_**  world.

Oh, how he hated the way his intuition worked. Always supplied the truth, a bare truth without layer and mask and everything that could cover what he wanted to remain unseen. A powerful ability to saw through all the lies, even to his own.

To be in ignorance was a luxury, which had slipped through his fingers a long time ago.

He remembered, on a rainy day, those words that Giotto-san had whispered into his ears while resting his head on his shoulder: " Our intuition…it is either the most marvelous gift or the darkest curse. While the gifted part is unsure, the latter is painfully obvious."

He had never taken this advice seriously enough, of course. What a fool he had been, to think it was just a simple moment of nostalgia of Primo's past. It never crossed his mind that it was actually a warning for him. Now, he suffered from his intuition, of truth without solid evidence.

 _There is no home. There is no way to return to my original world_ , his intuition kept proclaiming endlessly, no matter how much he kept protesting. It denied his denial and he couldn't get rid of its cruel judgment because deep down inside, he knew that it was right. It was always right, absolutely right, be it in the past, the present or the future.

Frustrating and exhausting as it was to hide from his inner voice, it was ten times more terrifying to realize that there was no hope to cling on to, to pass day by day in the same pattern of insecurity and longing, and then finally surrendering to the horror of being eternally trapped in an unfamiliar world without a ray of hope.

He had tried to delay this very moment until he could not do it anymore. Since hiding was no longer an option, he had no choice but to face his own fear now.

To say "I'm waiting" was a lie.

To say "Everything will be okay" was a lie.

So, what was the truth?

Closing his eyes, his mind portrayed the picture of the prefect with distant yet cold gaze. The rigid gleam inside the cloudy orbs that day still gave his body a chill whenever he recalled. Perhaps, that was the reason why he hit the skylark unintentionally. To hide his fear.

And then there was Ryohei Sasagawa, who he didn't have a chance to meet directly. He would never have such a chance.

Where was the truth lying? What message did his pain and ache try to tell him?

Drawing another sharp breath, he exhaled slowly to force his breathing back into its normal rhythm. As he reopened his eyes, he felt like some heavy weight had been lifted on his shoulder, leaving him lighter than usual.

He wanted to see them once more time – his Family's other selves in this world.

He wanted to be assured that they were fine, alive and…happy.

_He could not fathom a life without them in it, even if they were just some strangers to each other now. . ._

_._

_._

_._

When he checked his cell phone much later, the text appearing on the screen told him that there were ifteen missed calls and seven messages in total. Most of them came from his mother, with one message and two calls from Kyoko to ask his whereabouts while the rest was just spam.

The more he continued reading his messages, the more he felt an urge to have a glass of water along with some aspirin to help the splitting headache killing him right now. If the last message was any indication, it seemed like his mother had finally found out that he'd skipped classes the whole day and decided to make a fuss about it by calling his therapist and the cops.

"Great," he muttered darkly. "Now I have to worry about my arrest on the way back."

Without hesitation, Tsuna quickly dialed his mom's number. He assured her about his safety and begged her to please just called off the polices; he was alright and didn't want to come home in a police's car. This thought alone made him cringe inside.

However, as he was sending a text to Kyoko, an idea struck him. His finger trembled a little at its impact and as crazy as this idea was, he had to admit he could not resist its temptation. Not that he truly wanted to resist.

Ten minutes after, he was still stared at the cell phone in his hand.

Twenty minutes later, his whole body was still as a rock, and the thought "this is wrong" running all over inside his head in the form of hundred elephants wasn't any help at all.

Forty-five minutes had passed. He took a deep breath and pulled his phone over to him. He tapped his fingers on the desk anxiously, and then opened a new text to an unknown number. He stared at the blank screen, then typed carefully, and deleted the text, only to typed carefully again, and again. And, he hit the green button with the light speed, so fast that he didn't have time to reconsider it, again.

By the time he finished, his face had turned as red as a beetroot.

But his phone never vibrated with reply for once after that, and he tried to ignore the shrink of his heart for a very long time . . .

 

.

.

.

**_Extra : somewhere in Italy_ **

_How are you? Are you still in Italy? …I… I want to see you, again_.

Without a spare glance, he deleted the message from the inbox. It seemed that another ex-lover (Bianchi didn't count) had found his limited number to bother him. It also cemented the thought of switching to another number. Too bad that he had been using this for such a long time. But it had to be done, for his private's sake.

Sighing in frustration, he lowered his fedora, as it was his habit.

"Hey  **you**! Move your ass  **faster**!" His voice held no menace, accompanied by a string of firing bullets afterwards.

Smirking at the loud protest of a blond-haired boy who was now running like a maniac, he quickly threw the previous thought out of his head. After all, it was nothing important.

 


	5. The coming of rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> Beta'd by SawadaTsunayoshiLover

 

.

.

.

No sooner had the bride approached the groom had Tsuna realized he had made several mistakes. More precisely, one misunderstanding and three mistakes.

Firstly, he shouldn't have expected to see any explosion or dangerous situation, neither any chaos in the form of kidnapping nor threats. Really, such kinds of thrilling experience didn't exist in a perfectly ordinary life that he currently tried to blend into. Anyway, he blamed it totally on his old, crazy life style for that paranoia.

Secondly, maybe he had understated this parallel world too much. It seemed that everything could happen here, including the marriage between Takeshi's father and an unfamiliar lady.

Thirdly….well, he really needed to hide his shock better than dropping the holding glass of cocoa. Nothing good came out from this incident. Said glass was broken only after splashing the cocoa all over the hem of the dress his boss currently wore.

Could he blame it on his rotten luck ? Yes, please…

Could he explain it was his rotten luck that made such an accident occur to his Boss?  Sadly enough, the answer was a big No.

So, while standing next to the big vase of beautiful flowers - the wedding gift his boss had prepared, Tsuna accepted not quite wholeheartedly his dismay and his sudden pay cut. He hoped this cut was temporary though, and by some miracle, his boss would come out of the WC with a bright face and everything would fall back into place.

His boss was a reasonable person, but he couldn't count on it right now as he was sure that she was undergoing some terrifying symptoms called mood swings during pregnancy. It was definitely the scariest thing in the world with the ability of transforming a civilian into monster in the blink of an eye.

Tsuna sighed loudly, truly nostalgia about his 23-year-old body. There was not much choice of legal jobs for a scrawny high school student who looked like a bloody 14-year-old kid. He had been lucky to get an offer for a part-time job from the owner of the flower shop after a few times dropping by. Of course, it had risen some protests from his mother's side, but in the end, he had managed to convinced her.

He had a lack of sleep lately, due to all the hours working, training himself and studying. Again, he missed his old self badly. At least it was shaped to have a high–resistance against fatigue and pressure.

As the beautiful music began to fill the air, the atmosphere went higher and higher and his mind started to drift off to the dream land. Just before finally yielding to his want of sleep, his eyes caught the sight of something - no, someone - sliding through his foggy vision.

And that was when his last mistake showed up. By running away from where he supposed to be, he had confirmed to take his cut in wages and let himself engaged in a certainly incoming long speech about duty and responsibility. In other words, a nightmare was awaiting him.

This was also the mistake he hardly minded, though, since it turned out to be one of the most rightful things he had ever done.

.

.

.

"You look unhappy on a happy day."

It seemed that the teen looked startled by his sudden presence, not by his bold comment, which was a good start in Tsuna's opinion. He watched as Takeshi eyed him warily, sizing him up and down before the teen asked hesitantly, "You are..?"

"A delivery person." Tsuna said thoughtfully. "I delivered the flowers to your father's wedding, along with my Boss –er, she was the shop owner. Her name was Ayami; does it ring a bell?"

Takeshi nodded at him slowly. If the teen didn't understand what he had said, he clearly had no intention to ask more.

Even though Tsuna wanted to sit next to him, he chose to settle down on a spot nearby, not wanting to intrude the teen's personal space. He couldn't risk a chance of which Takeshi would leave and he had to follow his steps like some creepy stalker,  _again_.

"Is it that clear?" Takeshi questioned, after a long time staring at the wall opposite them.

"What?" He blinked, replied somewhat confusedly .

"My unhappy face…is it that clear?" The teen offered him a fake smile this time, and Tsuna felt an urge to furrow his brows.

"I don't know about the others, but to me it's very clear. Like now."

One more time, surprise was written all over Takeshi's features. His smile faded, then replaced with a thin line, then a slightly quirk of lips.

"Interesting. How about now?"

"Much better," Tsuna mumbled, holding out his hand. " Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna for short. It's nice to meet you."

"Yamamoto Takeshi. Nice to meet you, too."

Takeshi's hand was warm.

.

.

.

"May I help- Oh, it's you." His smile gained more genuine and less business-like as he saw a short black-haired teen entering the shop, "Hey, how're you doing, Yamamoto?"

He was immediately responded with a broad grin and twenty minutes afterwards, Tsuna found himself walking beside a certain individual, an ice cream in his hand.

They talked about everything. The conversation just went smoothly from the cold weather to Takeshi's training, to his crazy working schedule, and finally back to the weather. Words exchanged easily and hand-motion was involved flawlessly. Tsuna was glad with this wonderful progress. Since the wedding day, they still kept in contact with each other and arranged some face-to-face interaction between their busy daily time.

"Maa, it's freezing!" Takeshi complained, burying his nose further into his own black scarf.

"Of course it is when you are eating ice cream in the winter." Tsuna said, continuing to dig into his favorite food. Chocolate flavor was really awesome! "Anyway, you should have bought the crepe instead."

"Nah, this is fine. I just exaggerated. Plus, I want to know how it is like since you seem to enjoy it so much. I've seen you eat a lot of it lately."

"So, what is your opinion?" Tsuna raised a brow at that statement.

"It's freezing!" Takeshi made a face, and Tsuna barely prevented his laughter from coming out of his mouth.

Together, they laughed out loud. Tsuna nearly dropped his own ice-cream during the process, thus fueled it even more. By the time their little moment of hysterical amusement died out, almost everybody walking past by shot them the look save for aliens and mental ones. Takeshi quickly made a joke about it and Tsuna had to beg him to stop before his stomach was exploded by laughing too hard.

"We should hangout more often." Takeshi finally said, elbowing him slightly.

Tsuna nodded his head in agreement, not entirely sure to trust his frosted throat right now for talking. He had just taken a huge bite of the cold food. Man, it was really  _freezing_ , but it felt so  _good_ , too. He made a mental note to buy some more the next time he went shopping and maybe, remembered to get a scarf for his neck afterwards.

"Hey, Tsuna, can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm…?" Tsuna distractedly replied, throwing the stick left on a wastebasket nearby. It drew a parabolic curve in the air before fell down perfectly on the spot he had aimed earlier.  _One point for me!_

"Why do you work so hard?"

The serious tone alone caught his attention promptly. As he looked up, he was startled to see Takeshi's sharp eyes despite his easy going look. And damn, he swore that in their last meeting - which had happened two weeks ago – Takeshi had had the same eye level to him! He must have gained at least an inch or so on him within 2 weeks.  _Two weeks! Only two weeks!_  Where was his bloody  _puberty_  these days again?

"Is there something you really want? You shouldn't push yourself so hard though. If you go on like this, no doubt you'll collapse before you can achieve anything…" Takeshi continued, worry filled his voice.

Tsuna was tempted to shrug it off with a joke, but soon realized this was not a time for it. He felt his whole body tense as he said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

 _"I'm trying to find the rest of our Family,_ " is what he wanted to say. But instead what came out was, "I- there is a place I want to visit. A far off place. I want to go to there as soon as possible."

"A foreign one ?"

"...Yes," Tsuna sighed softly, breaking the eye contact between them. Somehow, he knew that Takeshi wouldn't press him further. Not when he had been clearly showing the uncomfortable signs to this touchy subject. The teen might give the impression of a carefree type, but deep down he was truly the most sensitive one.

As he expected, Takeshi began to change the topic after a long silence.

"The leader of the DC in our school has been looking for someone . Although all the members seem to protest, he still didn't give up. We call it "The Hunt". Do you know about it, Tsuna?"

His heart definitely skipped a beat. He answered warily, "Not really…"

"Rumors said that the wanted person was a girl - a very beautiful girl, in fact, to make the prefect so obsessed about it. Some even said that this was just a bicker between lovers with the end of one leaving..."

Was it his imagination or was Takeshi really going to say what he thought he was going to say? Tsuna laughed weakly, finding it very hard to keep his straight expression.

"Tsuna, you remember the day we first met? I had taken a glance at your cell phone when you flipped it open. Your screen's wallpaper was..."

"Ahhhhhh!" Tsuna yelled out in pure embarrassment, interrupting the teen's sentence. He knew it was useless since Takeshi had already known about that, but he would very appreciate if that wasn't said so…bluntly. Well, better away of his hearing range. Needless to say, his face was blushing madly. Damn, he always knew it was a bad idea to set the picture of the unconscious prefect as his phone's wallpaper, but he just couldn't help it…..

"Yamamoto!"

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone about that, please!"

There was a pause after that, and when Tsuna wondered if he had said something wrong, he heard a long, audible sigh from the black-haired teen.

Confusion washed over his feature as he spoke uncertainly, "Yamamoto …?"

"Tsuna, Tsuna..." Takeshi called out his name quietly, sincere, as if he could reach out and grasp something by doing it. " Sometimes you are so insufferably dense. All I'm trying to say is...you can trust me with your secrets, no matter what. After all, we are friends, right?"

The eyes he was staring at were pure, so pure that all the white lies and fabrications he had prepared a second ago were all thrown out of the window.

"...Yes, yes we are." He whispered, yet adding no more.

The feeling of guilt mixed with sadness engulfed his whole body and mind for being the one who caused the sad look on the teen's face.

 

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**Extra:**

**a week after you - know - what - incident**

 

From the beginning, this "Hunt" was known to be a waste of time.

It was like looking for a drop in the ocean. Too little clues to find a real one, yet too much temptation to just quit. And in the end, maybe it wasn't worth enough for all the patience and frustration.

The problem was how to persuade a certain person when to give up.

"Kyoya-san, if the search continues, we will certainly have a lack of hands for other problems at this rate. Everyone is ….not in the best health and clear mind to go on this pursuit. We- I want to call it quits, temporary of course, until the current situation is clear and we get more clues." Kusakabe said carefully.

The silence was terrible, and he tried to fight off his instinct to just turn his back and run away. The DC members were counting on him. Even now, he couldn't quite shut down all the noise they had said about not wanting to wake up in the hospital again.

"I don't remember to have such weak herbivores in my command. It seems that I need to take their trainings more seriously, tomorrow maybe a good start to carry out the new session." The prefect didn't look up, yet the tone itself was clear enough.

Kusakabe grimaced, but before he could said anymore, the prefect had dismissed him with a glare that could kill any protests.

By the time he had almost reached the door, a cold voice cut through the thick atmosphere of the room. "Kusakabe." He immediately turned his head around, hoping that the prefect had changed his mind. "Is there any way to preserve those things?"

At first, Kusakabe was confused. But as he followed the current gaze of the prefect, he instantly knew. Beside the stack of papers on the desk, lay innocently a small vase of blue flowers. The once delicate, pristine petals were now all shriveled and brown at the tips. They are withering away, that fact was for sure.

Suddenly, he was assaulted with the memories of these events lately. An unidentified voice had called to start all the drama and named the prefect by his first name. Those flowers holding a certain meaning had been found on the prefect's chest the same day. The anger the prefect had lashed out when they failed to catch the mysterious person.

And now, this question about flowers...Rumor has it that the wanted one was the prefect's  _lover_ …. Kusakabe shivered slightly, trying to concentrate. " You could dry them, Kyo-san, by a microwave or something like that. I don't know much about it-"

"Okay, I'll take this matter personally." The Skylark cut in abruptly, and if the heavier tension was any indication, Kusakabe knew this time he had been truly dismissed.

 

 

 

The next day, an internal party was thrown to celebrate the freedom and peace. Almost everyone attended, cheered, chatted, and laughed.

On the same day, Kusakabe learned a very thoughtful lesson. Despite all of his strict and violent methods, Kyoya-san still had a soft spot in his heart. On the contrary…..even though he liked his fellows very much, sometimes their ( was there any alternate way to express it without sounding like an insult?) stupidity was beyond his comprehension.

On the very same day, Namimori school's infirmary had a shortage of beds because the patients kept showing up, all seemed to be the members of DC.

Kusakabe, the second-in-command of the Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee, had no comment when being asked, while the leader himself was very successful in playing the role of his own nickname, "The Demon of Namimori", that no one – sane or insane- dared to approach, let alone to question.

 

 

 


	6. The coming of rain

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On a Thursday morning, Tsuna stared at the mirror and swallowed the urge to flinch at his reflection. Whatever he had expected, it certainly was not an image of a freaking zombie looming over the bathtub. Even a bloody scrawny adolescence was much more appreciated than this.

 _Great, just great,_ Tsuna groaned loudly, dread for the speech his mother could made as she caught a sight of him. _All I need right now is some needs to eat several human brains on the street and get shot through my skull._

_Ugh, I hate Thursday. Too soon to call it a weekend. And my energy has already been running out..._

After fully getting dressed, he contemplated whether to come downstairs and have breakfast with this awful appearance or not. Much to his dismay, the dark circles under his eyes were too painfully obvious to be ignored.

In the end, he decided to leave his home in a rush, just sparing enough time to get his hand on some toast on the table. His mother barely had a moment to look at him, let alone checking on him as usual. A goodbye being shouted and he was out of sight.

Later, he found out he had forgot to bring his own lunch.

Really, it was cliché, this whole damn-I-must-be-God's joke thing. He must have done something very, very bad in his past life.

.

.

.

"I've made too much of them earlier. Do you want some biscuits?"

He dropped his gaze to the small bag Kyoko was holding and looked up back to her face, clearly aware of the growling sound of his empty stomach. It was painful, the way his poor belly curled up and twisted inside at the smell of something good and oh…They were chocolate biscuits, of all the snack!

He was glad that he could control his body better than before. Had it not been the case, he would immediately dig in the sweet like a starving hound, rather than being a perfect gentleman as he was taught. He said politely to Kyoko, "I'd love to, Kyoko. Really, it's very kind of you, thank you very much!"

He offered his best sunny smile, honestly not surprised at all to see the blush starting to cover Kyoko's delicate features. Slowly, he picked up a biscuit and began to eat. It tasted wonderful.

"It's very delicious, your cooking is improving a lot!"

"R-Really? I'm glad you like it!" Kyoko replied with a bright smile, her face lightened up at the compliment. "And no need to thank me. It's nothing compared to what you've done to help me lately!"

It was true. He had helped her with the paperwork for the student council of which she was a member. In return, she always made home-cooked sweets and brought it to him as thank-you gifts.

It truly was a win-win situation. The fact that he had a sweet-tooth just made things lovelier. Besides, dealing with paperwork was just a piece of cake as it had become a second nature to him, thanks for his past experience.

He had a little problem though. Sometimes the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't help but think what kind of hell might be prepared for him if Reborn ever found out that Tsuna was selling his skills so low for sweets and food, compared to all the time slacking off, and avoiding the paperwork at all cost in the past.

But what Reborn didn't know couldn't hurt him, right?

"It's no big deal!" Tsuna said distractedly, his focus still lingering on the food. But he made sure to express his gratitude to the brunette via his eyes. Such an intensely fixed gaze that could send the "thank-you-very-much" sentence he wanted to transmit.

By any means, it only served to paint more crimson color on Kyoko's cheeks. As he laid his finger on the 8th biscuit, her face was as red as a rippled tomato. Standing up abruptly, she sputtered an excuse about going to get some drinks and practically left him alone with his sweets and…

"Don't tease her like that!" Hana's voice was like the temperature outside now, which would say a great deal about it as it was currently in the middle of winter .

Tsuna turned his attention to her, his eyes big and innocent. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, Hana-san."

The glare he received promptly was full of venom and irritation. She seemed to want to say something – no doubt a harsh retort –but still kept her silence in the end. Tsuna could feel her sharp eyes boring into his skull, watching a scowl made its way to her face.

"You look like a dead monkey, a very dead monkey. When the hell was the last time you slept?" she said finally.

"I don't know, maybe 2 hours ago… before you two decide to come to this rooftop to have lunch." Tsuna shrugged his shoulder, not bothering to hide the implication that he had ditched classes for his nap.

He heard Hana snort lightly near him, clearly not buying whatever he had said. Her curiosity seemed to be content though; she asked no more. Tsuna was more than happy to have things going on that way.

He was not in the mood for a mock conversation right now. Ever since this morning, his instinct had decided to go off badly. He knew that something was  _wrong_. It had been rubbing in his mind constantly and still haunted him at the moment, after his quick sleep. The most frustrating thing was he couldn't figure it out, nor having a single clue to find what it might be!

"What're you doing?" asked Tsuna, hoping to get away from his own thought.

"...Facebook," Hana gave him a long glance, but answered eventually.

"Anything interesting?"

"Hmm...Not much, besides some pathetic pictures of some shameless monkey, there is nothing…  _Oh_!"

" _Oh_?"

"It seems like a middle school idiot is attempting to commit suicide. He is standing on the edge of the rooftop.  They are commenting that he is a member of the school baseball team- Hey! Where are you running to?! The class will begin in any minute. HEY! Oh forget it, it's none of my business anyway. I honestly don't see what Kyoko is seeing in you, Dame -Tsuna!"

.

.

.

Tsuna knew this was not the time to be panic. A panic man was a blind man, who couldn't do anything but drown in his own mind. But if he was too late... A shiver ran through Tsuna's body at the thought and he momentarily had to rest his hand against the solid wall nearby to steady himself.

 _Just calm down_ , he thought, eyes closing.  _Remember what I had been told. Right, if the situation is too tough to solve, turn around and come to talk to R-_

_Damn it, Reborn, you didn't even answer a simple phone call!_

Of course, swearing was useless, too. But Tsuna felt like he needed it right now to ease his chaotic mind. After a few seconds, he resumed running, and dialed Takeshi's number again.

On the third call, fortunately, a hoarse voice answered him. "...Tsuna?"

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna shouted, heart almost leaping out of his throat. "Hey, don't hang up!"

Yamamoto didn't say anything.

"Where are you now, Yamamoto?"

The teen still didn't say anything.

The silence following was heavy, but Tsuna didn't let it fool him. He was almost there, to Namimori school's gate. He only needed more five minutes.

"Whatever you are going to do, don't do it. " He didn't know that his tone was so serious it was almost a command.

"...Why?" It started with a whisper, a trembling whisper, and Tsuna realized immediately how wrong it sounded to his ear as Takeshi continued huskily, "I-I'm a failure. Everyone counted on me and I let them down by my stupidity. My arm…it's broken…I  _ruined_  it...The match was important. I just thought if I trained hard enough, I would have a better opportunity to win. But-but it did not go that way...The baseball, it's the only thing I have, it's the only good thing I have. Now I - Just let me…"

"Why? You ask me why?" Tsuna could barely control his voice. His entire body shook with fear and anxiety. He said quickly, "I want to ask you the same question, Takeshi! Why are you doing this? Why didn't you come and talk to me? Why do you choose this? I'm your friend, dammit. And you're certainly not a failure, Takeshi, so get rid of that nonsense, and pull yourself together or you will be truly sorry when I see you. I  _mean_  it!"

Even the furious tone couldn't conceal his own terror. He felt like being in a nightmare. No matter how much he tried to escape, to hide and call out for help, there was nothing out there but the pitch black darkness. He felt like standing before Ryohei's grave over and over again. The harsh picture of the lonely cold stone laid out vividly before his eyes, toying with his heart by its sharp silence.

One was enough to give him a fatal blow, now two? No way, he couldn't deal with it.

It was so cruel and unfair!

"...I-I can't, Tsuna. I wanted to call you but I can't...you-you are the one I can't bear to let you know.. you have your goal and always try your best to fulfill it without any hesitance and doubt. You are so bright, so cool, so...so  _perfect_. Compared to me, I don't know what to do with my life. It's such a mess that even I'm scared to look at. I-I don't want you to know how pathetic I am..."

"Shut up! Don't you dare to talk yourself that way, Takeshi! It's bullshit!  _Stop_ , shut up, and listen to me! You're not a failure...I don't care if you are good at baseball or anything else. You're just Takeshi – a friend that I treasure. My best friend...Please, Takeshi. You're  _important_  to me, don't -just don't do it!"

Tsuna finally made it to Namimori Middle school. Jumping over the gate's fence, he instantly looked up to find where Takeshi was. He quickly spotted his silhouette on the main buildings.

"I can see you now, Takeshi." He mumbled slowly, catching his breath after running .

"Tsuna, I-I can see you, too. You...came?"

"Of course I came," Tsuna said, not understand why Takeshi's voice sounded so unbelievable. But he chose to dwell on it later as his mind was occupying with another matter. "Let's play a game, Takeshi. What about rock, paper, scissors? Whoever loses will obey an order from the winner... I'll go first, I choose paper!"

The silence stretching out between them was heavy as Tsuna waiting patiently for his answer. A few minutes past, and he got it.

"Tsuna, if I jump...Can you catch me? Will you catch me?"

 _Save me,_  Tsuna could hear Takeshi's heart begging through his earphone, through their long distance.

"Yes...Yes I will." He exclaimed, mentally bracing himself to whatever could happen. He was controlling this situation, there was no need to fear. Silly Takeshi, how could he think for a moment that Tsuna wouldn't catch him? He would do anything to save him!

"I...I choose Rock, Tsuna...What can I do for you?"

"Go back, Takeshi, go back to your classroom and finish your homework and after school, I want you to buy me a lot of ice-cream, chocolate. And I really mean 'a lot'. Besides, I won't be tolerant of any rude comment about my well -being for getting a cold today. " Tsuna released the breath he was holding. The chuckle coming through the earphone made his heart finally back to its original place.

"You got it! Anything else?"

"Nah, It's fine for now. I'll talk to you later if I need something."

"Ok, it's a promise...Oh hey, Tsuna?"

"Yes?"

"Your swearing earlier is so awesome!"

At that moment, he could feel it.

The light feeling his rain guardian had often gave him, like a summer rain washing away all the bad and pessimistic thoughts, leaving only a clear sky.

Once again, he could feel it, by his soul and heart. The overwhelming sensation so warm that it actually brought a tear to his eye.

"You bet!" Tsuna smiled brightly, knowing full well that above him, Takeshi was doing the same thing.

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.

.

Watching Takeshi's figure slowly retreating to the roof floor, Tsuna couldn't help but think about the same incident in the past. He was glad, very glad that he was still the one who could talk to Takeshi, to be the one able to help him this time.

Tsuna shook his head, blinked a few times and squeezed the bridge of his nose to snap out of his deep thought. He had to get back before his school bag was dumped to the far off wastebasket. Although his bullying was dramatically reduced these days, he didn't want to risk his belongings.

Maybe he could reach his classroom on time-

"Herbivore, what are you doing here?"

-or not.

Had he ever mentioned that he hated Thursday?


	7. Who is the sane person?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> Betaed by Dremagon

 

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It was easy, too easy, to just bite the herbivore standing before him to death and ask questions later. But perhaps the interrogation would have to wait until after he had personally bitten his minions to death first. There was an herbivore trespassing his school, yet nobody had made themselves useful enough to report it to him. This was completely  _unacceptable_.

Ignoring the way the herbivore fidgeting and remained silent – he always saw this reaction – Kyoya charged forward using half of his strength. He didn't want to kill the herbivore, just concuss him.

He soon found himself didn't need to worry about that, though.

His tonfas swung down eager to make impact with soft flesh as they were so accustomed to doing, but met nothing but air.

"K- please, stop, oh my-"

Kyoya, of course, didn't listen at all. Instead, he kept up a barrage of strikes; only stopping momentarily when it became apparent that the herbivore's dodging wasn't merely dumb luck. Planting both his feet firmly on the ground Kyoya narrowed his eyes. For the first time, he seriously considered the creature before him.

No matter how much  Kyoya looked, he saw nothing but an ordinary herbivore. One look and Kyoya could tell that the boy's bones would splinter and crack under his tonfas. One look and Kyoya could tell that he should be able to dismiss this thing as a weak herbivore, the type of meat that would be preyed upon by bullies further up the food chain.

His fingers twitched slightly, grip tightening on the cold metal weapons. The body he was looking at was weak, definitely not having the body of a fighter. But the wary stance, the unmistakable aura said otherwise. It defied everything he thought …. It was so contradictive and impossible and wrong. Wrong.  _Wrong_ ….

Then Kyoya met the not-quite-a-herbivore's gaze and he suddenly knew. Unflinching eyes without a hint of fear and as clear as purest amber bored into his. This was certainly  _not_  an herbivore.

Kyoya lunged forward again, this time using his full speed and strength. His remaining doubts faded quickly as the not-a-herbivore continued to successfully dodge his assault once again. The boy was just barely avoiding the blows, but he was dodging them nevertheless.

"Stop running and fight back!" Kyoya demanded, the desire for an actual fight kicking in, singing through his veins.

He had fought with opponents who were faster and smaller than himself, but none of them had proved as interesting as this brunet. What made this boy different to the point that he was able to avoid all of his hits?

Kyoya refused to think he was not strong enough.

He aimed a strike high, and the brunet was forced to intercept it. The boy grabbed the tonfas with both hands, guarding himself. It was a foolish move on the brunet's part. Fatigue was written all over his face and his body language made it obvious he was tiring. They both knew that with one hit the brunet would be flat on the ground.

Kyoya knew, and a tinge of disappointment wormed its way inside his chest.

But then the fight took the most unexpected turn of all. To be precise, it all happened in the short span of a scant few seconds, yet it changed everything.

He stared, blinking rapidly, not quite believing his own eyes. A flame, a real flame, had burst into life on the brunet's forehead and...

It happened too fast.

One moment Kyoya was staring into orange orbs – when the hell had they changed color? How had they changed color? – and an instant later the image of the brunet next to him was a blur and the next thing he knew, he was standing alone.

For a fraction of a second, Kyoya went deadly still and lowered his weapons just a little bit in his surprise, unsure of what to do.

Then he turned and started to run, chasing after the far away silhouette.

This fight was not over.

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.

He found his target unconscious, lying nearby a tree outside his school. There was no flame on his forehead. If anything the brunet looked like a dead fish. If Kyoya was a lesser man he might have dismissed the orange flame as a hallucination or a trick of the light. But Hibari Kyoya was no lesser man.

He stared and stared, contemplating his options and then finally made his decision.

Hauling the omnivore's body over his shoulder, Kyoya slowly made his way back, completely ignoring the scandalous looks from the people around them. For some strange reason he suddenly recalled the incident of some weeks ago. The incident he hadn't been able to forget. Soft strokes through his hair, easing the fever raging inside his body. Faint noise, but not in the irritable, annoying way that would make him snap, wrapping around him like a secure blanket. Warm, caring tenderness.

He couldn't forget.

Maybe it was because of the faintly flowery scent reaching his nose now.

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"I'm going to ask you a few questions and I won't tolerate anything vague or a refusal to talk. Either spit it out or I'll bite you to death. Do I make myself clear?" The prefect said calmly, as if the blunt threat was a normal, polite manner of speaking.

Sitting on the other side of the wooden table, Tsuna slightly nodded his head, wondering whether he could just pass out again. It really wasn't good for his health to wake up and find a certain pair of grey eyes hovering over him, silently watching him like a hawk. It certainly wasn't good for his heart.

His mind restless and his body hurting, Tsuna thought that maybe he could just pass out soon and maybe avoid all of this. 

"The flame on your forehead earlier….What was it?"

Tsuna blinked his eyes, not quite expecting this kind of question. He had assumed that the prefect might have asked about his reason for trespassing on the school's territory first, or at least his identity…

Nevertheless, Tsuna replied simply and truthfully, "Ah...  _that_ , it's called the Sky Flame. It helps me release a straight burst of speed or simply raw power."

He added quickly afterward, seeing a familiar glint flashing through Kyoya's eyes, "The Sky Flame descends to me from my distant ancestor. The sky flame is really rare in the first place, at least outside of certain bloodlines. So yeah, I'm afraid I can't explain how to use it or summon it on your own."

 _Unless you have Boxes or a Vongola Ring_ , Tsuna mentally added. Of course, he didn't give that particular information to Kyoya. Sometimes it was better to keep certain things hidden.

"Why didn't you use it from the beginning?"

"I can't. It takes up a lot of my energy, and I'm far from my normal health state today. You've already seen the consequences from when I overdid it." Tsuna said, contemplating whether it was appropriate to ask for a drink. His throat was thick, so was his mouth, and his body ached painfully.

The side effect of using the Sky Flame was that it always wore him out thoroughly. But since he had gained the basic theory and experience to control it properly in his past life, he had an upper hand in knowing when to stop before abusing his body too much. Today was just an exceptional day in many ways.

"You seem oddly comfortable enough."

It was not a question, and Tsuna looked at the prefect, confused. He saw faint amusement taking over the edge of the skylark's features, soothing the harsh lines of his face for a fleeting second.

Following his gaze, Tsuna looked down at his hand which was currently holding a warm cup.  _Oh_.

Now that was just weird. He didn't remember pouring himself a cup of tea, so either he was suffering from short-term memory loss, or he had unconsciously done it without thinking. Neither seemed appealing.

(Just like old days, when he had found himself keeping Kyoya company more than ever in school, because most people dared not to come near the room, or more exactly, anywhere near the prefect, and he was the only one who could stand in the same enclosed area with the prefect for a long time and excuse himself from being bitten to death.

After a month, he already tasted all the types of tea served throughout the weeks. And sometimes, just sometimes, he would see a cake sitting innocently on the stack of papers needing to be sorted. He knew that the prefect didn't have a sweet tooth. Maybe he had grown a sweet tooth since that . They were all delicious, not chocolate, but still really delicious)

His tongue tasted like the bitter chamomile tea and a bit of confusion mixed with betrayal. Tsuna frowned. Despite of all the similarities, the person sitting across him was not his Kyoya. He shouldn't feel light and relaxed by his side, especially when said person was the cause of his over-exhausted state.

However, as he took a quick glance at Kyoya again, his unsettled emotions died out in instant replaced with something more urgent. He nearly choked on his tea, staring at the object that had appeared in the prefect's left hand.

His mobile phone. Opened. His wallpaper. Clear as day.

_Bloody hell!_

"So, it was you after all…."

Somewhere beyond the simple words, he heard the trademark threat lurking consistently,  _"I'll bite you to death."_

He swallowed hard, spluttering for the first time being here, "I-I can explain."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow, his expression strangely calm. "You can have five seconds. ...One."

_I just want a picture of you to…well, see it whenever I want._

No, it sounded so creepy on so many levels. Next.

"Two."

_Your sleeping face was so adorable and peaceful that I just couldn't help myself but take a picture of you…_

No, this would definitely take him closer to his own death. NEXT!

"Three."

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to, but-"

"Four."

"Geez, can't you hold on for a second, please? I -Wait! No  **no**   _NOOOO_ -"

Tsuna watched in utter horror as his phone was broken in half by a single hit from Kyoya's tonfa. The loud sound ringing through his ears was like a desperate cry. His hand was frozen in mid-air, too late to prevent anything. Slowly, he brought his hand back to his side, eyes focusing on the remaining pieces of what once was his cell phone.

"I believe you don't have any copies of the picture left somewhere?"

Tsuna decided the humorlessly tiny smile on the prefect's face was evil, very evil.

A part of him kept screaming  **"RUDE! MEAN!"**  at the prefect's action, while the other part sighed in relief as he had saved a copy of the photo on his computer earlier, just in case. It turned out to be a reasonable precaution after all.

However, for the sake of his life, Tsuna carefully adjusted his expression to an innocent one, and slowly, ever so slowly, shook his head from side to side, trying his best to ignore the scrutinizing gaze of the skylark.

It seemed to take forever before finally, Kyoya said, "I expect to see you on Sunday morning this week. At the school yard. Be late and you know the consequences!"

"I beg your pardon?" Tsuna asked, somewhat dumbfounded at the sudden jump of the current topic.

"I hate repeating myself-" The glare he got in return clearly proved that his ears hadn't been wrong, but it still didn't make sense at all. "-I'm in need of a proper ...dummy for my training. You seem to be an eligible one."

Seriously, what kind of reason was that? And how could the prefect keep a perfectly straight face when saying such nonsense? Tsuna refrained from rolling his eyes. Instead, he cast his eyes downward, and upward, repeatedly, totally refusing to look at the skylark.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Think.

Any sane man would have run and hid for the rest of his life if they had been in his shoes. He couldn't blame them though. Three hours ago he had still been sleeping safe and sound on the rooftop, and now, sitting here with death threats being thrown at him in every sentence, he was sure this was not a desired route by anyone.

"If you don't come, I'll tear apart your school and bite you to death!"

"You don't even know my name yet," said Tsuna, looking directly into Kyoya's eyes.

"Hardly a problem," Kyoya smirked, quirking a brow as if silently accepting the challenge, which was ridiculous, because he swear he didn't mean for it to be a challenge. Just an obvious fact, nothing more. Well, he hadn't done it intentionally.

Ok, maybe now it was time for a thoughtful answer. What choices should he make?

It certainly was not a question involving sanity. Tsuna had ceased to question his sanity a long time ago. It probably had been gradually giving him a farewell since the day Reborn had shown up at his door step, the latter claiming that he was there to train Tsuna to be the next Vongola Boss. No, it was all about what he wanted this time around.

He always found there were various choices to follow, since he had been taught how to make choices with much diligence. Considering them, weighting them, and choosing the most suitable one to gain the best benefits, or choosing nothing at all.

Sadly, right now he was known as a scrawny teenage boy with self-destructive tendencies, so there was only one choice, only one answer to take if he didn't want to be bitten to death, as his soon-to-be attacker so eloquently put it.

But it was still the most beneficial one to him, and he hardly thought twice as he said, "I'll come. And my name is Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna for short."

Then Tsuna hid his smile behind the cup, secretly enjoying the surprise look on Kyoya's face. It was a real pity that the prefect quickly regained his stoic expression.

It was a little too late though; Tsuna had already stored that image in the back of his mind. The warm swell in his chest felt like all the reward he needed.

.

.

.

 **Extra (1** )

**The first meeting between Kusakabe and Tsuna**

 

As an experienced right-hand man, Kusakabe knew immediately what to do when one of the members of the Disciplinary Committee notified him of the latest news. It seemed their leader, Hibari Kyoya, had murdered somebody and decided to bring the corpse to the committee's room in the school.

His first thought was: _Finally, the day I've long awaited has come._  While the second thought was much more practically:  _I should have had a talk with Hibari-san earlier about how to properly dispose of a body_.

But he was nothing if not a right-hand man, so after a moment of regret, he pulled himself together again and quickly raised the red alert to level 3 –the ultimate threat. All the current members at the school were immediately split into two teams. One team to be waiting outside the building for further instructions and the other, including him, standing guard outside the prefect's door, ready to charge in anytime if necessary.

Since it was the prefect's first kill, Kusakabe didn't want to interrupt his time of adjusting his ...morals, or whatever it was called.

It took almost two hours of waiting and fidgeting before they heard a faint sound coming through the thick wood door. All ears perked up in instant, but they heard nothing more.  _Maybe installing a sound- proof door was not an entirely good idea for times like this_ , Kusakabe thought.

Leaning against the wall, he watched a member of his team trying to eavesdrop by the door's hinges. He had no intention of stopping their rising curiosity, too busy buried in his own deep thoughts. What he was going to do later would be illegal, sure, but he needed no extra help and he would be damned if any of these happenings made their way to the main house. Hibari-san would be livid if that were to happen.

What he truly hadn't expected was shortly fifteen minutes after these thoughts a figure, who certainly not look like the prefect, stepped out from the doors. In fact, the stranger looked like he had gone on a trip from hell and needed a lot of rest.

They stared at each other silently, or rather, Kusakabe and the brunet held a staring contest while the others stared and started to whisper quite audibly ("Oh my GOD! Is this really what I think it is?" -" **A GHOUL!** " -" No, it must be a  _zombie_!") and someone promptly ran away from their duty position, shouting something sounding awfully like "I'll bring some garlic, don't worry!"

Those insufferable idiots.

In the future, Kusakabe would be able to look back on this meeting and interpret the particular look on the brunet's face that day as actually having meant  _"Ok this is weird, but please, I don't want to know the details,"_  coming along with  _"Seriously, don't let me know why"_. After all, he would be seeing this expression on the brunet often enough to be able to translate its specific meaning, all thanks to his leader.

Sadly, at the moment, he only took in the sight of a fragile looking teen with big eyes before he was distracted by doom tapping him on the shoulder in the form of his leader opening the door. One single glance and Kusakabe realized he had better run for his life at once.

"Hibari-san! We –we can explain." he uttered weakly.

"Try it!" The prefect snarled. Tonfas ready in his hands.

"The garlic is ready!" An excited voice cut in. Kusakabe despaired immediately.

"You moron! Garlic is for  _vampires_! It's a  _zombie_  we're talking about!" came another voice.

Screw his previous comment. He had been wrong. They were totally insufferable idiots and his death.

"Does anyone carry holy water?"

"…" Kusakabe slowly retreated, backing away, counting down to the explosion he knew was about to come.

"I'll bite all of you to death!"

At some point between yelling and hiding, he averted his gaze back to a certain spot, but the brunet had already vanished into thin air.

.

.

.

His name was Tsuna. He was one year older than the prefect, yet smaller in comparison. Gravity-defying hair, a skinny frame, soft natured and caring, he seemed to be the perfect sample of an herbivore, yet Kusakabe knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

Back on that day, Kusakabe made the mistake of viewing Tsuna as a miserable person who had been unfortunate enough to catch the skylark's attention.

Little did he know, someday, he would see Tsuna as the one his leader willingly killed for. The one who was proof that Hibari Kyoya, the former demon of Namimori, indeed had a heart.

.

.

.

**Extra (2)**

**What he hated**

Kyoya hated owing somebody a favor.

He also hated to be confused when someone was between an herbivore and a carnivore. The thing between them, an omnivore, was always hard to decide whether it worth a fight.

However, Kyoya was sure that if he ever had an opportunity to come across a combination of those things, he wouldn't let it go easily.

After all, he hated boring peace as much as utter chaos. He just pretended to forget about it most of the time.

.

.

.

**Extra (3)**

**Weird dream after running like crazy with a flame on your head**

His vision was filled with red the color of blood even though he was no longer looking at the scarlet and glassy walls around him. The floor tiles had shattered into countless jagged shards, each shining a different color of the rainbow, which dug into his bare feet with every step forward.

He didn't stop though, already numb against the pain pulsing through his body. He couldn't stop. Not until he finally remembered.

He wanted to remember, so he moved across the isolated corridor and kept going forward. The silence embraced him tightly, sensing his unnerved and yearning, and then slyly faded away. At some point, he broke into a run at the feeling of being pursued. It was something that had already been lurking there and decided to make its presence unknown until now.

He ran as if his life depended on it, his lungs struggling for air that was never there in the first place. Too close, yet too far. Where was his destination?

He could see what was chasing him now – orange flames mixed with a tint of indigo, crawling over the floor as though a thousand of waves of the sea were crashing down, washing away all obstacles in its path.

Very soon, his eyes only saw orange and indigo and fleeting shadows. But it didn't burn hard. For a moment he let himself drown in the warm sensation it brought, too tired to think clearly. It was almost like a comforting hug, soft and caring. But he knew that it would not keep him here for long, because even with all of the good feelings, he still wanted to remember.


	8. A mother's love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> Beta'd by SawadaTsunayoshiLover

 

_"For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse._

_So collapse._

_Crumble._

_This is not your destruction._

_This is your birth."_

—  _n.t._

* * *

_._

.

.

 _This is a blessing,_  her husband once said, on the day their first son born with an orange flame erupting from nothing on his small forehead.

It was also the first time she'd ever doubted her husband's judgment. Because while it made their son special, it also made him abnormal. And people tended to react badly against anomaly. This explained the unsettled feeling recoiling inside her chest, like something was about to happen, and was going to take the child she was holding tightly away from her.

.

.

.

Now, after three years, sitting beside Tsuna's bed, she looked back and thought,  _I'm right._

The fever was unsurprising, given the fact that this was the fifth time it happened in total, but alarming and worrying. It had lasted the longest despite all of her effort to cool it down. By the fourth day, she wore down completely, and finally, asking her husband to take their son to hospital where he could receive better treatment.

She didn't care if the medical staff would say anything about the … strange flame flickering on Tsuna's forehead, she just wanted to ease their son's pain.

They hadn't leaked a word to the outsider on that day, aside from some wide eyes and hush mutters among each other, though she had a strong feeling that it somehow involved with her husband's small talks with the administrative staff.

The doorbell startled her more than it should have. For a few minutes, she heard the low murmur of conversation, and the sound of footsteps slowly made its way nearer and nearer. The door of Tsuna's room was opened, revealing two man standing. One was her husband, the other was an unfamiliar old man.

They were all in casual clothes and having a certain calm air around them, but while her husband seemed to genuinely radiate it, the old man seemed like to make it a mask to hide his true nature.

The old man introduced himself as her husband's boss, and politely told her to wait outside the room.

She, of course, protested none too quietly.

She had been sleepless for about a week, she had been so close to her breaking point and now some stranger told her to back down, to walk away from their sick son! She had every right to see what they were doing, and she would fight it tooth and nail with everything her hand got into contact with right now.

But in the end, what she really did was reluctantly walking out of the door, waiting for what would happen. And continue waiting.

(The man only said, "I promise to help your son and I mean no harm to him, dear, please trust me," and she somehow want to believe it without any questions. How strange. She blamed it on the way he'd said those words, so confident and reassured)

And the man did keep his promise.

.

.

.

Later, the man asked, "Are you sure your younger son doesn't have the same issue? Any sight at all relating to the flame?"

She shook her head nervously, then took a sip from her cup as an attempt to hide her anxiety. She had a strange feeling this man could see her like an open book. And it scared her greatly.

The man said no more, and bid her a goodbye afterward.

.

.

.

There was no eerie flame appearing on the day their youngest son was born, nor did the fever following in the next few years.

He and Tsuna looked so different they were the night and the day. The only resemblance between them was their eyes: dark brown eyes. But even that was different: Tsuna's possessed a dim light surrounded by darkness, while his brother's shone with the brightness of life.

The biggest gap was their personalities, the stark contrast was obvious. While Tsuna was quiet and often spotted reading a book in various place, his brother was loud and often got small wounds or scratches from many games played with the kids in their neighbourhood. They were brothers, but they acted around each other like strangers.

Nana was the only child in her family, and so was her husband.

They didn't understand about the thing called sibling rivalry.

.

.

.

She discovered their youngest son was not entirely normal either, on the day he almost died. With a blazing flame on his forehead.

_'What's wrong with my sons?'_

.

.

.

"He watched me drown!" Their youngest son yelled, his index finger pointing at their eldest son accusingly. "He said it'd be better if I was never born"

Nana paled.

Sitting on the chair, Tsuna said nothing, his gaze fixed on the white ceiling above them.

.

.

.

Her husband was beyond furious when he heard that news.

Tsuna, once again, never replied to any questions or accusation thrown at him from his father and younger brother. His face void of any emotion, it looked like a mask. His gaze barely met theirs at all, like he was in another world, and only his body still stuck here with them.

She just cried and cried.

A month later, their youngest son and her husband departed to Italy. She saw them off with her glassy eyes and weak smiles, saying goodbye and exchanging fleeting kisses.

("I think he can have a better education in there," her husband said. "Our headquarter is located in there, and the boss said he'd love to have him as his guest in his mansion."

She slowly nodded as she always did. Her husband was always the wise one, who was she to deny such an opportunity for her child?)

* * *

.

.

.

_"When will you come home this holiday, my son?"_

_"I'm sorry, Mom. I can't...I need to study harder for my upcoming tests. I'll send you my gifts instead, Mom"_

_"O-Okay, don't push yourself too hard. Okay?"_

_"Of course, Mom. See you later."_

.

.

.

_"Will you come home this year, dear?"_

_"...I'm so sorry, love. You know about my work..."_

_"It's okay, dear. I'm just asking."_

_"I wish I could come back to you and kiss you, my dearest...I love you."_

_"I love you, too."_

* * *

.

.

Time passed, day after day, months after months, and at some point she started to count.

Time passed, slipping through her fingers like vapour, cruelly taking away hope and happiness and leaving nothing but loneliness in place of a broken heart.

On her darkest days, sometimes she prayed.

_Please, let a miracle happen._

.

.

.

Two year and fifty days.

She clutched the paper on her sweating palm, eyeing the silent boy sitting across her over the dinner table. It felt so difficult to voice her question, and she really didn't know how to put it, but it must be done. So she cleared her throat and said, "Tsuna."

The brunet raised his head for a fraction of a second, his wide dark brown eyes met her before shifting back to the fried fish dish in front of him.

"Tsuna, I met your teacher today," she began carefully, "and he said he's worried about your health…"

Now Tsuna was visibly fidgeting on his chair, the food on his plate beyond salvaged under his digging chopsticks.

She swallowed loudly, taking a small glance at the long-sleeved shirt he usually wore even on the hottest day _. Oh my God, and I never realize…_  "Tsuna, is it true, that you've been bullying at school? And…your wrist…"

"Why do you even care?" Tsuna suddenly cut in, his eyes shining with emotion, something akin to…hate?

"What?" She flinched a little, then quickly regained her composure. "Of course I care, Tsuna."

"No, you don't. You never cared, so why don't you just stop pretending to care and leave me alone like you always do?"

"Tsuna…" She leaned closer to Tsuna's direction, her voice full of desperation "I-"

"No, I don't want to hear you!" Tsuna abruptly stood up, crying out, "You never care! SO LEAVE ME ALONE!"

With that, he ran off to the stairs, leaving her sitting there, still bewildered, and confused at what just happened.

* * *

..

.

.

_"How should I do, dear? I still can't believe, Tsuna- he, he cut his wrist-oh,my god why-"_

_"Calm down, love. Calm down, I need you to be strong. Breath in. Breath out. Okay, You should talk to him. Okay? Find out what he wants or needs. If it doesn't work, perhaps you should take him to a therapist."_

* * *

.

.

.

Two year and ninety-two days.

There was a storm raging inside their house. Every time she tried to talk, Tsuna just shrugged it off silently, or worse, snapped back at her until they both raised their voices, higher to the point of shouting, yelling, and verbally assaulting at each other.

It left her exhausted and heart-broken to think maybe this was the only way they could commune now.

.

.

.

Three years and twenty days.

She immediately regretted the words coming out of her mouth as she said, "I wish I lived with your brother instead of you."

She knew she could never forget the haunted look reflected on their eldest son's face on that particularly nasty fight.

.

.

.

Tsuna stopped talking and so she stopped talking to him. Sometimes, she just wanted her guilt and shame to consume all of her being.

.

.

.

Four years and one hundred and eight days.

It'd been a long time since she visited hospital, but the terror was the same. She looked at Tsuna's face, almost as white as the color of the drape covering half of his body. He had a broken nose and three broken ribs. She didn't dare to avert her gaze further down to his wrists. There was no light in his dark brown eyes. Even a dim one.

"I don't want to go to school anymore, Mom," he whispered, looking much younger and smaller. He looked defeated. "It hurts."

.

.

.

She woke up in sweats and tears and a hollow feeling crawling inside her chest. A chilly breeze rattled, blowing up and down the yellow curtain through the window she had left partly opened that evening.

"Why does it go all wrong?" she whispered to no one amidst her sobs, the silence almost choking her breaths.

Nobody answered, and she sat there like a statue until the first morning ray tipped over the dark room.

* * *

.

.

.

_"Love, you really should tell him to go back to school, not following his bad decision. He was not in his right mind."_

_"But he wants it, dear! It's the first time he'd ever pleaded with me..."_

_"It won't work this way, love. You know it. What did his therapist say about it?"_

_"I- He didn't go to see his therapist anymore. He said he hated it."_

_"Oh, my...you need to find him a new one, love. And I mean it, you shouldn't spoil him like this."_

.

.

.

* * *

Four years and one hundred and forty days.

Kyoko was such a lovely girl that Nana adored her at the first meeting. She had a sweet voice, kind heart, and above all, she came to their house to encourage Tsuna to go back to school; to be friends with him.

It came as no surprise that Tsuna had a crush on her, and unsurprisingly, it was a one-sided love.

It took exactly three weeks, two days and strong motivation from a certain girl to get Tsuna to pick up his school bag and opened his room door.

She watched his thin figure walking through the window, and silently wished.  _Please, don't break his heart._

She should have known, greed was always accompanied by destruction.

It only took two months after that for her to learn the lesson in the hard way.

* * *

.

.

.

_" Love, calm down, calm down...what's going on?"_

_"Tsuna-Tsuna*sob* he*sob* -I need you, dear. Please, please come home, please!"_

_"..."_

_"dear?"_

_"..."_

_"Dear? Can you hear me? What's over there? Is it a gun sound?"_

_"..."_

_"Dear!"_

_I'm sorry, love. I gotta go right now. I'll call you later. IloveyouBye"_

_"Wait-wait-*sob*"_

"

.

.

.

* * *

It was still dark outside.

She didn't remember crying, nor eating, but many days later she could still perfectly smell the peculiar scent of the hospital and how the nurse –blurred face, white dress (but white was everywhere) -who seemed to understand, (no, she didn't), her feeling and with a gentle voice, repeated what she did not want to hear.

Tsuna was dead. He had been lost too much blood. It had been too late to save him. They were so sorry for her and they hoped she understood what had happened. That her son was  _dead_.

"No." She snapped, much to the startled face of the nurse. Her head still seemed to suffer from the worst migraine she'd ever had, but she held herself as tall and calm as possible when she opened her mouth again. "No, our son isn't death. Stop using the past tense."

"Miss Sawada, we're truly sorry for your loss but please, it's the truth." Said the nurse, keeping a sympathetic gaze on her. God, since when the medical staff started to harass people around with their practical joke? It was not funny at all.

"No", she said, "I want to see my son. Now!"

She shoved the nurse aside and ran out of the room where she was told to stay after passing out three hours ago. It's gonna be okay, they said. Liars.

Someone was calling out her name from behind, but she ignored it.

She knew it, she knew it all, from the beginning.

_She remembered holding their eldest son closely onto her chest, right under her heart, like one moment passed and he'd be taken away out of her reach. For all the blessing it might be, the strange flame also made him anomaly. And people tended to paid more attention to those one, with questionable attitude, like the word "Freak", once coming quietly from a nurse when she thought nobody could hear._

She ran to the emergency room. No one was there. She turned his back and started to run again.

_She remembered running fingers through Tsuna's hair gently and listening to the incomprehensible noises forming under his throat. The fever had not yet ceased, and the temperature refused to go any direction but up and up, and now she was genuinely scared out of her mind. What if her son didn't make it through? What if…?_

_She reached out and cupped Tsuna's face, brushing her thumb over Tsuna's feverish skin. No, she shouldn't let her thoughts wander further…Their son was still there, and he was still too young, surely God wouldn't call him back that early._

There were so many people around, talking and walking. Some peered at her, some called out to her running was not allowed here. All of them, however, showed no ounce of surprise to her anxious state, like they were used to it, like it was normal there.

_She remembered asking her husband the reason he chose her. After enough poking, he finally gave in and said with a fond grin that always made her heart flutter; "Because I am madly in love with you, honey. I know you're my home, my sanctuary. It doesn't matter where I go and what I do, I know you'd always be right there waiting for me. And I'm asking no more from my soulmate"_

_So, she saw them off on a windy Sunday afternoon, saying goodbye, and exchanging fleeting kisses._ _**Don't leave me,** _ _that silly plea stuck in her throat the whole time. She could ignore it. She could wait._

She gasped for air, feeling suffocated. Falling, she's falling.

_She remembered coming back home from the supermarket only to find their house too silent to the point of suspicion. She shrugged it off easily at first though, the plastic bags full of groceries needed to be sort out, and she was kind of excited to try a new cake recipe, hopefully it would tempt Tsuna to eat more, or maybe he could give some to Kyoko._

_But only when her nose caught the familiar scent of copper in the air did the panic start to grow uncontrollably. What happened afterwards was lost in her mind, burying deep down by the feeling of hammering heart and fearful doubts. In fact, the only memory intact was the strong urge to throw up at the sight of their eldest son sitting motionlessly on the tub in the bathroom._

_The tub was no longer white or clean as it should have been. It had become a stunning piece of art, created by the very red liquid continuing spilling down through a cut on Tsuna's wrist. Blood. So much blood. It was red and sticky, there was no water, only fabric being soaked with red, and red, and it was so much red._

_At that very moment, all she could hear was the endless echo of past, loudly and painfully, whispering how things wasn't supposed to be this way._

"Mother, I don't want to go back to school anymore. It hurts." Tsuna had said. The first plea after years of silence, how could she ever refuse? But it was not enough. Not enough at all, because he still thought death was an escape, a relief rather than seek it from her place.

"I know you're my home, my sanctuary", Iemitsu had said. The words that won her heart over, the words that bounded her love and faith still year after years. But was it worth? Was it worth every hours of longing and crying and hoping?

Perhaps, this was time to let it go.

She had been lost for the long time.

Why did it take so long to see what the most important thing was?

She was not alone. She still had Tsuna. He was their son, of course, but he was  _her_  son, too.

The son that she had abandoned for her agony. For a desperate love that now only brought anguished cuts and unhealed wounds, she'd turned a deaf ear to the silent cries of help from her own son, blind to his whole struggle.

Why did it take so long to see the light?.

This must have been how "failure" sounded like.

She failed, utterly and thoroughly, as a mother.

But now still she wished, one last time, from the bottom of her heart. To any angel or demon out there. To any deity or someone or something could hear.

_Please, let my son live._

 

.

.

.

"It's a miracle," the doctor said to her, because no patient could wake up when he was supposed to be dead already like they had claimed.

"It's a miracle," the therapist said to her, because no one who attempted suicide could live or act like a whole being.

"My son is a miracle", she said to them, even though she knew they would never understand why tear always welled up her eyes whenever she said those words. It was meant not only for her son, but for her as well, because his mere existence was a miracle itself.

He had come back. Not for her, but it was enough.

Now she found love, one more time.

.

.

She stopped counting time. There was no need. A miracle had already happened.

.

.

"Tsuna, try this one. It's delicious."

"Thank you, Takeshi. But I think I'll pass, I'm kind of full."

"Just eat, omnivore."

Nana smiled fondly at the scene unfold before her eyes. Leaning against a sakura tree, the gray-eyed teen, (Hibari-kun, she thought), kept sending Tsuna his glares until her son gave up and began to eat with a cute pout on his face. Meanwhile, Yamamoto-kun was laughing cheerfully and waving his hand in a swift motion to crack some jokes, thus making all of them smile, (or rolling his eye in Hibari-kun case)

Despite her best efforts, she felt tears in her eyes at this warm display.  _'Oh, how I'd love to take a picture of them like that'_ , she thought and decided to wait a little longer for fear of breaking this breathtaking moment.

It never ceased to amaze her how things had change since last year, since that fateful day. Like a curse had finally lifted, her world now regained the color it once lost. And between them, her Tsuna, her vulnerable, young Tsuna, had changed most by fighting devils on his own and honing himself to become the finest gem she'd ever known.

Gone was the empty eyes; the dark brown eyes now shone brightly with kindness, and a hint of wisdom that sometimes reminded her of an old man in the past, only less intimidating. And perhaps she might be biased to comment that, but really, her son was a sight to behold.

There was something in the way he held himself, the way he move with effortless elegance and confidence like it was his birthright. He surely had grown into a beautiful young man, and yet still remained oblivious to his own charisma.

Her son might not know yet, but his friends were definitely seeing him with a gaze that went beyond friendship a little bit, especially Hibari-kun. Then again, maybe his friends didn't realize their own emotion, either, regarding the way they acted around him, still full of innocence but eagerly demanding for his attention.

 _These boys are really a good influence on my son,_  she thought, watching Tsuna laugh aloud from the distance.

It was hard to believe that he had ever thought and committed suicide. He looked  _happy_. He looked  _perfect_  to her.

She let a tear run down freely on her cheek, then wiped its trace away, and called out to those boys, joining their picnic eventually.

.

.

.

_"My love, how are you?"_

_"I'm fine, dear, just busy lately. Last week we and Tsuna's friends went on a picnic. I needed to prepare a lot, but it was so much fun~."_

_"It's alright, I just miss you. You used to call me a lot, and it has been a month since your last call…You know, you can talk to me everytime-"_

_"I know, dear, it's okay, really. Um, do you know any hotel with reasonable price near your boss' mansion?"_

_"What! WHY?...I mean, why so sudden?"_

_"Well, Tsuna want to go to Italy and I think we really deserve a vacation. Plus, I want to visit our youngest son too."_

_"Tsuna want to go to Italy and you kind of follow? "_

_"Yes...Can you help me, dear?"_

_"Of course I do, my love, I'll arrange it for you. "_

_"Great! I can't wait to tell Tsuna the news. Oh, I have to go to the supermarket!. Thank you, very much! See you later, dear~"_

_"Hey, wait-Damn, what the hell is going on?!"_

.

.

.

She had to admit, to be the one having the last words was oddly satisfying. No wonder why her husband kept doing that. Well, until now he did.

Still, she would never forget the dull ache in her chest, nor the fleeting pain in Tsuna's eyes when he sometimes gazed into the horizon with a distant look.

It truly hurt less than before, but she knew better than that, just like she knew the past few years never truly left them completely.

But she hoped they could learn to let it go slowly, however difficult it might be.

Moreover, everything was paled in comparison to the astonishment and joy on her son's face when she showed him the tickets and passports.

She knew it would have been a good idea since the day she had seen the red marked in travel magazines hidden under Tsuna's bed. Why he didn't hide porn was beyond her , but she nevertheless would willingly do anything to make sure that smile happen again and again.

* * *

.

.

.

**Inbox messages: Kyoko-chan and Tsuna-kun.**

 

I'm going to take a trip to Italy. Want a souvenir?

Anything is fine. But why so sudden?

My mother seems to think we need a vacation before I start the new semester. You really don't want anything?

Yes. Oh, Tsuna, have you changed your mind about joining Student Council? It'd be fun, I promise.

Kyoko…we've already talked about it. My answer is still no, sorry.

Just asking. Hm, Tsuna, I think I've changed my mind. I always want to own a Channel shirt for all my life.

…...I'll keep it in mind, see you later.

**Inbox messages: The Rain and My best friend.**

 

Hey, I'm going to take a trip to Italy. Want a souvenir?

Oh, I'd love a baseball with Ichiro Suzuki's signature on it.

Uhm, Takeshi, you know I'm heading to Italy, right? I'm afraid Mr. Suzuki won't be there.

Oops, I forget. Then anything is fine, I guess. Wanna eat some sushi? Yukari-san insist on inviting you over for dinner. She misses your compliments.

Sorry...I need to prepare my things. Anyways, send my big thanks to Yukari-san please.

Okaasan baked chocolate cake today. Big chocolate cake.

I'll be right there after an hour!

**Inbox messages: The Cloud and My omnivore.**

 

I'm going to take a trip to Italy. Do you want a souvenir? :)

A new pair of tonfas.

...You know it's illegal, right?

A new pair of tonfas.

I won't buy you a means to murder me. Definitely not.

I'll bite you to death anyways.

Why are you all difficult to me? Fine, I'll see if there are sweets to bring back instead of thoughtful gifts. Unless you stop being meanie and just tell me what you want. Eh, with reasonable price, please.

I'll bite you to death!

I'll miss you, too.

Hn.


	9. It's Fate (don't tell him)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> Betaed by Terry nightstalker
> 
> "Italic" - Italian speaking
> 
> "Italic"- Japanese speaking

 

..

.

.

At a coffee shop, he saw the boy the first time and dismissed him as quickly in favor of savoring his favorite hot espresso and a cornetto vuoto. No point in wasting his time and attention on something, or in this case, someone harmless.

Until their eyes met for one fleeting moment.

All the noise faded into the background, and his heart skipped a beat.

The boy averted his eyes quickly and walked out of the door.

Nono almost jumped out of his seat literally and scrambled after the boy, ignoring the call of the waiter for payment. His bodyguards nearby could deal with that easily.

" _Wait_!"

The boy, of course, didn't turn back. Nono kept running forward though, well aware that his actions was causing his bodyguards to be alarmed.

" _Please wait!-_ " he practically shouted, getting some curious glances from the pedestrians.

All but to no avail to his wanted target. The boy didn't even slow his pace.

" _Please wait!_ _ **Primo**_!"

That, much to his surprise, made the boy stop and take a glance at him.  _Holy Christ! He actually responds to that name!_

" _You called me?_ " the boy said in perfect Italian, his voice soft and his eyes wide.

" _Yes._ " He said, a little breathless.

Silence hung around them as they both seemed to chase their own thoughts.

" _Uhm, have we ever met before?_ "

"… _No, I don't think so._ " Nono said, then quickly amended when he saw a confused look taking over the boy's delicate features, " _I'm sorry, you just…you look a lot like a person I know._ "

The boy tiled his head slightly, " _Is that so?_ "

Nono knew it was time to say something- anything- to ease the wariness in the honey orbs gazing at him. But well, at that very moment, he could only think about how the boy's hair – a mop of untamed brown spikes - could pull off that hairstyle, just like  _that person_ , without looking like he'd been electrocuted over and over again. It didn't look like there was gel involved, either.

He was his doppelgänger, just smaller and…  _prettier_.

_Ugh, what am I thinking?_

" _Uhm, sir, can you let go of my arm?_ "

Nono's eyes widened as he realized he was still holding the boy's arm. He dropped his hand immediately, feeling his old face flush a bit. They were making a scene, he knew it. There were some stares and dubious glances being shoot at them.

" _I—I'm sorry._ " he said, embarrassed.

"I _t's alright…Well, it's nice meeting you here but I think I gotta go now…_ " The boy gave him a tentative smile and stepped back, ready to go away.

" _Wait!_ " The urgent word came out of his mouth made him flinch inside. Normally he'd have more control over his body than this. What was with this boy that made him so reluctant to let him out of his sight? " _May I know your name?_ "

For a while, Nono thought the boy wouldn't tell him, which was really understandable. They were completely strangers, after all. Thus, he felt a surge of astonishment when the boy answered him with a small smile tugging at his lips.

" _My name is Tsunayoshi._ " the boy said simply, then walked away.

There was something strange in that smile that Nono couldn't fathom. The boy smiled as if he was amused. Why? Surely the situation wasn't that funny, was it?

It was a miracle that the boy didn't run away screaming "pedophilia." 

He watched the boy disappear into the crowd, graceful and fluid movement in every step, then sighed in exasperation. If his mother knew about this, she'd haunted him to no end and eventually killed him and resurrect him so she could maim him slowly again for such a poor display of manners. God forbid, she'd been worse with the hero worship for Primo than he, and he doubted her collection, stored in hidden boxes, about that legendary deity could be surpassed by anyone.

To think he would have the chance to come across someone who bore such a striking resemblance to Primo and mess the meeting up to this point...  It was truly a terrified feat. He fervently hoped that the boy didn't see him as some kind of pervert or potential kidnapper, or worse, a  _pedophilia_.

Shaking his head, he put the terrifying image of his mother aside and walked over to sit down at one of the chairs at an outdoor cafe. A waitress eagerly came to his side, ready to written down the note. He just smiled politely and said, " _A cup of espresso is fine. Though I would like to know more about the news today, too. You don't mind handing me a 'Newspaper Today', dear?_ "

The waiter nodded silently, and immediately went fetch him his order.

He sat for five minutes then left after leaving a generous tip beside a neatly folded newspaper, humming an incomprehensible melody under his breath.

By the time he arrived at his own manor, a report had already made its way to his desk, accompanied by an envelope containing fresh pictures of a certain brunet.

" _No wonder the name sounded so familiar…._ " He murmured, skimming through the profile.

* * *

.

.

.

"There you are, Tsuna. Where did you go?"

Tsuna's faint smile faded away as he saw the worrying crease between his mother's brows. Carefully putting the paper bag of croissant and the warm cappuchino down on the table, he said, "Just took a walk, Mother. Look, I bought breakfast for you. Cereal and cappuccino. I bet you'll love it."

"Oh, it's so nice of you." His mother's face brightened for a moment before she remembered she was supposed to be strict on him, not cooing, and tried to put on a scowl, "I mean, it was not nice…. No, it's not about the breakfast things. Tsuna, what I meant to say was you leaving the hotel without me knowing. It's not acceptable!"

"I left a note on the table next to your bed, Mother."

"You seemed to have left your phone behind, too. And I couldn't even talk to anyone to find out when you left so I can call for help if necessary."

 _Oh, this is not good,_  Tsuna thought when his mother fold her arms across her chest with a scowl.

"I'm sorry, mother." Tsuna said, looking down at his feet.

She was clearly upset because of him, and he felt bad about it. He'd really just gone for a walk, having some time alone for himself and it certainly wouldn't have taken much longer than fifteen minutes if only Nono hadn't show up…

His mother had been changing a lot since last year. She was less oblivious and grew more and more independent. Before he knew it, she had become a strong woman with a terrifying, stubborn bone, especially when it came down to him. He still remembered her absolute no-bullshit tone when she'd lectured him about his health, which was unfair because he knew exactly how to look after himself. He just didn't see the point of wasting so much time sleeping or eating when there were so many things to do.

But the most significant change, the one that made him so confused, was that she seemed not care about his father. Or more precisely, she didn't care about the way his father acted lately. Even after receiving a phone call notifying that the one picking them up at the airport would be his colleague (it was a Mafioso, of course) because neither his father nor his younger brother were in the country right now, she'd showed no remorse or any other emotion indicating that she was sad or disappointed. On the contrary, she had all but beamed at him, declaring that it was good for strengthening the bond between mother and son, and had almost succeeded in coaxing him into eating more than usual.

He would never figure out those mysterious creatures called women, he supposed.

"It's okay, Tsuna… Just promise me you won't do that again." His mother's voice softened and Tsuna could hear her steps as she approached him. "Now let's have our breakfast first… Oh, in case I forget, remind me to call your father before dinner, he said he and your younger brother couldn't meet us this morning. We will have his native employee take us around instead. Doesn't it sound wonderful? There are a lot of scenes recommended in the guide book I read last night, I can't wait to see them all!"

。。。

。。。

* * *

.

.

.

Basil was actually a good choice as a guide. His polite demeanor charmed Tsuna's mother almost instantly and those two were hitting off so wonderfully that by the lunch time, Tsuna declared that he was waiting to hear an announcement that Basil was actually his long lost sibling, much to his mother's amusement and Basil's bewilderment.

"Don't be silly, Tsuna." She frowned at him, but the way her lips quirking upwards indicated she was not serious at all. "Of course he isn't. If I had any relation to such an adorable creature, do you think I can hide him away without bragging loudly?"

Next to them, Basil choked on his tea.

Poor boy, this conservation was only beginning.

"Mother! I think I smell discrimination here. While I whole-heartedly agree with you, are you implying that I'm not adorable?" He said, in which he hoped was a reasonably petulant voice.

"Your words, not mine, dear ~" Nana said, calm taking a sip out of her cup.

"Sawada-san, Tsuna-dono…" Basil spluttered, his whole face going as red as a ripe tomato. "There are some wonderful scenes over there, can we go now?"

As if on cue, Tsuna and Nana both spontaneously turned their face towards him.

Tsuna tilted his head slightly.

Nana just smiled wider.

Basil shrank further in his seat, a more interesting shade of red crawling down his neck.

"Can we keep him, mother?" Tsuna turned back to his mother, his tone dead serious, "You could have him adopted."

"It's a brilliant idea, my son." Nana deadpanned.

Poor, poor Basil.

* * *

.

.

.

"Your younger brother will be very happy to see you, Tsuna-dono!"

"I don't know, Basil, it's been a long time."

"He will."

"You seem so sure about it."

"I do, because Narumi–dono is a great person just like you, Tsuna-dono."

Tsuna knew the brown hair boy meant every word he said, and he wanted to believe him.

But back in his world, his father was a complete wanker and Basil still gave him such respect that bordered to the point of worship, so maybe there was a tremendous gap when it came to judging characters between them. Besides, Tsuna hadn't even known about the existence of his younger brother until a few days ago.

All things considered, he thought it was reasonable to have doubts. After all, why had his mother never mentioned his brother before and when she did, it had been with great nervous?

Well, he'd better not get his hopes up too high then.

* * *

.

.

.

His so-called brother, as it turned out, was less than happy to see him, which Tsuna found himself not surprised at all. It helped to explain the turmoil bubbling in his chest though. It was like an icy firestorm, a thousand different emotions clashing against one another for dominance. Hatred, anger, shame, regret ….and what seemed like a faint touch of love that turned ugly through time.

Tsuna rarely encountered such intensely conflicted feelings that his brows knitted in confusion for a moment. That oddly reminded him of the meeting with Kyoko, so it had to be another muscle memory of this body rather than one of his own.

" _I see you're not dead yet, brother._ " The blond teen said pleasantly and pulled him into a painful hug with enough force to nearly crack his poor ribs before leaning in further and whispering to his left ear, " _What a pity, I must say."_

Tsuna thought he could have given the teen a light pat on the shoulder for being subtle enough to say it in Italian if he hadn't been on the verge of suffocation here. No doubt it was an attempt to keep him and, more importantly, their mother from understanding.

So Tsuna just simply replied instead , " _Me too, brother,_ " in perfect accent-less Italian and stepped back out of reach when the arms around him suddenly went rigid.

Watching his brother's face morph into an excellent impression of a gold fish, Tsuna decided it suited him better than the fake grin earlier.

"It's good to see you two get along so well, boys. I'm very happy." Behind them, his mother beamed. "Do you think so, dear?"

"Yes, my dearest." Iemitsu curly nodded, giving Tsuna an outraged stare screaming that he didn't buy the display of affection between the brothers. If he'd heard what his youngest son had said to his eldest son, he showed no indication of it. Quickly schooling his face into a neutral expression when Nana looked up at him, he slipped a hand around her waist and said, "We should better head inside...Dinner is ready now.  _And refrain from your catfighting, girls. Behave yourselves._ "

 _Well, I'm glad that you're still a jerk, father,_  Tsuna rolled his eyes as his skin itched uncomfortably. The negative emotions inside him had reached a new level just from standing near him. Unlike the complex feelings toward his younger brother, his feelings for Iemitsu  were pure hatred 

There was definitely bad history between father and son here. With sibling rivalry being the cherry on top.

They certainly were a dysfunctional family.

Giving himself a mental shake, Tsuna followed his parents with a scowling younger brother in tow.

* * *

.

.

.

Like the Vongola headquarters, the Vongola mansion was a legend itself, if not better than HQ. It was said that the First generation had been originally lived here and after them, only the Boss and the one and future Boss knew its whereabouts, along with their Guardians and a handful of people.

That lead to the billionaire question, what were they doing here?

Tsuna looked at his fancy dish with little interest. They were all traditional Japanese and, knowing Vongola standard, cost more than a small fortune. Not that money meant much when there was a presence of a Vongola Boss in the meeting.

"Do you enjoy the food, Tsuna?" Nono smiled,seemingly oblivious to the growing tension around them.

"Yes, I do, Mr. Nono. It is delicious." He replied politely, because he couldn't said bluntly that he felt like eating sand, right? He should be grateful that they were sitting in a private room, not the dining one with the extra-large table _he and his Guardians_ had usually occupied for meal before. Nevertheless, the thought alone made his stomach twist violently.

Beside him, his younger brother quietly snorted. Tsuna pointedly ignored him.

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. I'm afraid that our cooks are not very familiar with Japanese food, except for Narumi's favourite one, so I don't know if they taste as good to you two."

"They are perfect, thank you very much." This time, it was his mother who answered him. Tsuna noticed that her tone sounded slightly higher than usual. Perhaps she still felt overwhelmed with all the exquisite and luxurious things currently surrounding them.

He totally sympathized with her. Even the smallest antique was worth their house, plus with the austere atmosphere here it was quite a terrified experience.

Sitting near him, Nono cleared his throat, gathering the attention.

"So, I wonder…" Nono paused, which Tsuna knew it was just for dramatic effect. He continued eventually, "Why don't you two stay here? There're many vacant rooms here and I'm sure Iemitsu and Narumi would love to have you and Tsuna around… Oh, now I've thought about it, it would be a splendid idea. Your family could spend more time together after years apart. What do you think, milady?"

The stunned expression could be seen on all the faces around the table, except for Nono himself and Tsuna. The former had a perfect polite smile with only a hint of smugness while the other held onto a fabrication of blankness.

As sudden and weird as it seemed, somehow Tsuna doubted the invitation was what the old man actually wanted to say.

"I –I'm honored, Mr. Nono, thank you very much for your generous offer. But… I think we have to decline. I don't want to violate your hospitality further."

"Not a problem, dear. I'd love to have you here."

Tsuna knew a losing fight when he saw one. Sadly, his mother was not going to win this conservation. Vongola Timoteo was not only well known for his strength or power, but also for his charm and skill at persuasion. It was only a matter of time before his mother fell for his smooth talk.

On one hand, Tsuna thought it was really a wonderful idea. Spending more time here meant that he could explore further and, depending on his luck, meet some old acquaintances.

On the other hand, a surge of suspicion refused to leave his mind.  _He wants to keep an eye on us, or worse, on me in particular_ , Tsuna thought warily. The question was,  _why_?

Then a thought flashed through his mind like a lightning strike.  _It can't… it can't be….But it'll explain why he pays so much attention to me.._

_He thinks I'm a spy._

But it didn't explain the way the Vongola Boss looked at him earlier. Had Tsuna not been known better, he'd have sworn the old man's gaze was almost reminiscent of Gokudera's, one that leaning over the border of admiration.

However, Tsuna was jerked back to reality when someone decided to kick his shin under the table. And by someone, he meant his father who was eyeing him in disapproval and mouthing " _Answer_ " at him.

Tsuna only blinked. "Huh?" was all he managed to utter.

"Tsuna, your mother said she would accept to stay if you also want to stay here. What do you think?"

* * *

.

.

.

Tsuna woke up, the sort-of split second wake up that left him dizzy and disorientated. bolting right to the bathroom, he emptied his stomach of dinner like there was no tomorrow. There was a moment when everything around him swaying dangerously with high speed, and stars dotted in his vision when his mouth tasted like it was being shoved by a dead thing.

Having splashed water in an attempt of cooling down, or rather of erasing the trace of tears on his cheeks, he sat cross-legged on the cold floor, curling himself up in a ball.

It was only a nightmare, one he couldn't recall. So, why  _cry_?

He shut his eyes down, breaths ragged just like his heartbeats.

He needed fresh air.

Now.

* * *

.

.

.

He ran across the long corridor that was illuminated by decorative candles. There was a blueprint that had been long lost, and now the building structure could only be passed on orally.

 _'It is madness, who could remember all the paths and unknown paths in this maze?'_  he'd thought after spending countless hours getting lost in his own mansion.

But in the end, he could. Hah, who knew?

He'd listened to Nono's wise guide. He'd listened to Reborn's words giving instructions mixed with threats. And he'd listened to the whispers of the very ghost living in the building, hearing twisted tales buried too deep and too dangerous, but were also absolute thrilled to discover. The original buildings had been built and rebuilt and added onto and transformed so many times over the years, and Tsuna knew it all down to the core by heart.

_Turn left, turn right, and right, and right. Turn left on the crossroad, and don't bother to look at the dried blood on the thick dark curtains before passing through it because it's creepy. Down the hidden passage, down the dark corridors and past more paintings, there lies a door. Touch the torch next to it with your Sky flame, and my parlour will open to you and you alone . No one knows about it. Except you and me. Well, you'll keep it a secret between us, won't you, Decimo dear?_

**Primo's parlour.**

Hidden under the ground, forever lost to the outsiders and even the next generations of Vongola Boss. He couldn't deny being flattered that he was trusted with this particular information, and had no qualm keeping it to himself.

It'd been his escape when things had been too much (Too many explosions, too many deaths, too much of everything that made him edge ever closer to becoming insane…) He'd curl himself up on the black sofa, lost in the silence that hung around like a comfortable blanket, or let his ancestor join him with his soothing presence and calm demeanor, never judging him for what he could have done or should have done.

He could still go to that place, now. If this world was a parallel one, surely there was a high chance Primo's parlour existed.

Except he couldn't.

He couldn't do it, especially when there were bugs inside his room and while he could understand the reason behind a violation of privacy such as that, it didn't mean he'd like it. He was not a spy, never a spy.  Reborn had said he sucked at that and he'd totally agreed. But nobody knew that here.

He was a  _nobody_.

It rubbed more salt into the wound than it shoulde, the knowledge that he didn't belong here. Even if it was the same landscape, the same place… It didn't have the same people. This place, just like Kokuyo Land, was an empty shell to him. 

Tsuna finally stopped at a beautiful garden outside the building, feeling dizzy and suffocated. His legs buckled as he crouched down on the ground, surrendering himself to the law of gravity. He drew his knees up on his chest and wrapped his arms around them, swallowing a sob threatening to escape his lips.

He shouldn't have accepted the invitation to stay here.

It was like living with ghosts, you could hear and see and know they were there, but never be able to touch them, to prove that they really existed. Everything looked familiar, sounded familiar, and pulled at some unraveling thread hanging somewhere you can't quite reach.

* * *

.

.

.

Under stress and anxiety, Tsuna didn't pay as much attention to his surroundings as he normally would do. Therefore, it was purely instinct and reflexive of his subconscious mind that prevented him from being hit straight to the head by a ball. Just a tennis-sized one, but it surely would have hurt like hell had it had a chance to be intimate with his skull.

"What the..."

"You have a good reflexive."

Tsuna whipped his neck to the other side quickly. What he saw left him speechless, and his mind completely void of any comprehensive thought.

"Uhm… thanks?" He managed eventually after few minutes staring, feeling a bit light headed.

Three meters from him, there stood a child clad in black suit with a familiar chameleon lying lazily on top of his fedora. The child was about eleven years old, yet he had a look as sharp as daggers far beyond his age in his black onyx eyes, too cutting and mature.

"You should be in bed right now." The kid said.

"So should you," Tsuna titled his head slightly, suddenly aware of the currently dry state of his mouth as he said breathlessly, "Who are you?"

"I'm the best hitman in the world." Without missing a beat, the kid replied.

"Oh…" Tsuna said, his heart skipped one, two, three beats.

_It's him._

_It's him._

_**Reborn** _ _._

There was no doubt here. The cocky grin, the air of smugness that no one could intimidate, no matter what form or appearance he was.

_It was him._

Damn, he was truly out of his depth, wasn't he? His former sadist tutor was right before his eyes. Except that he was not his former sadist tutor anymore, and he was not a baby that he was supposed to be. What had happened in this timeline? Had the curse been lifted? But then why hadn't Reborn turned back to his adult form, but a kid?

Tsuna's head was swaying with many possible scenarios. Too much to think and too little information to reach a comprehensive conclusion.

Nevertheless, he opened his mouth, aiming for a quick retort to camouflage his own anxiety, "Aren't you a little too cute to be a hitman?"

And there was it, had he not known where to look he would never have noticed the indifferent mask slip off Reborn's face for a fraction of a second. Surprise was painted across his face before being covered by the flat look and a dark gleam in his eyes.

Reborn narrowed his eyes and gave Tsuna one of his patented glares of death. Knowing Reborn, Tsuna could bet that the hitman was counting the number of possible ways to eviscerate him slowly and painfully, with bare hands preferably. He trusted Reborn would find seventy at the least.

They stood facing each other in growing tension. Neither of them offered any words, and while Tsuna still have a sliver of suspicion that Reborn was a mind reader, he doubted the hitman could find anything useful in his chaotic mind now.

**BOOM!**

They both winced at the sudden blast, a mirrored expression drawn on their face. Startled then blank.

Reborn was the first one to react. The hitman instantly headed inside toward the source of the noise and only gave Tsuna a long sideways look when he realized the brunet had done the same thing and now was hot on his heels.

Tsuna shrugged nonchalantly, offering an amiable smile that could fool most people. But Reborn just narrowed his eyes further and pursed his lips into a thin line.

They arrived at the left wing in three minutes, neither of them out of breath after a run. Tsuna caught the peculiar smell of dynamite in the air even before he heard voices cut through the corridor. One was obviously his younger brother, but the other one, it held a certain level of familiarity….

Now Tsuna couldn't believe his luck. It seemed today was full of surprise.

" _You fool! Why did you do that!"_

_"I did it because you said so."_

_"I never meant it that way, it was supposed to be a joke! You stupid thick-head bomber!"_

_"I—"_

Then there was a gun sound echoing through the room.

Tsuna did not need to turn his head to know where the bullet had come from.

_"Silence!"_

Reborn said in low tone, his childlike sound carrying such authority that silence instantly reigned the entire place.

However, before Tsuna was able to step a foot inside the room, there was a distinct sound of something about to explode. A second later, smoke started emitting everywhere.

Tsuna still charged forwards though, hearing startled shouts and colorful curses ringing through his ears. Somehow, there also was a female voice among them, and considering the rather high pitch, it belonged to a young girl, maybe a teenager.

Then Tsuna felt a hand tugging his wrist and trying to drag him outside. Just when Tsuna was about to break the grip, someone hissed at him.

_"Follow me."_

 

.

.

.

**Extra**

_**A secret** _

_Remember, Tsuna, it's the secret between you and me…_  Giotto-san said, a playful smile curling on his lips when he'd lead Tsuna down many paths, through exits, and finally stopping in front of his own portrait hanging on the wall in one of the many hideout corridors.

 _Can our secret wait for a while? I don't know, perhaps until seven in the morning…_  Tsuna muttered, holding his hand up to cover his yawn. He couldn't help it, there was still a four-inch-thick stack of paperwork to deal with and he had barely had a two-hour nap, and the last thing he wanted to do was encourage his eccentric ancestor to nurture his narcissistic streak by gazing at said ancestor's portrait at three am.

A light smack on the side of his head a second later told him that he'd talked that out loud, accompanied by Giotto's voice in a strangely fond tone.  _Oops._

"Reborn's sass has rubbed off on you too much."

Smiling, he saw the flame on Primo's forehead flicker as the former Boss shook his head and let out an exaggerated sigh.

That day, he learnt three more things about Vongola:

One, the Primo's Parlour had been not destroyed under the reign of Second as the rumors had claimed, and it could only be opened by Sky Flames (not by blood).

Two, the numerous portraits and framed paintings hung on the walls of many marble corridors or passages were not just all about decoration and showing off. Some of them actually concealed secret hideouts and hidden rooms. And the huge number of Primo's portraits that appeared everywhere underground was not the consequence of a narcissistic streak. The blame was totally on these uncreative architects.

That revelations earned him a smack again, but Primo still applied the same fond tone, just more exasperated this time, so Tsuna guessed it was kind of okay now to just shut his mouth and focus on tidying the parlour.

After ten minutes, Primo put his face in his hand groaning and sent him back to his sleep before Tsuna could use a storm box to swept out the thick layer of dust, which lead to the discovery number three : Vongola Decimo was definitely not a morning person, especially when being deprived of sleep and woken up by dawn...

 


	10. Defying rules

**_Disclaimer: I don't own KHR_ **

**_Betaed by Terry nightstalker._ **

* * *

.

.

.

The moment Hayato started talking, Tsuna knew there was a misunderstanding here. He'd been taken by mistake.

When Hayato realized his mistake, let's say it was not a comfortable experience for both of them. As expected, the bomber began to swear, most of which Tsuna could tune out with the ease gained only by long time practice. It wasn't like that he had not heard exactly the same, or more impressive, cussing from said bomber. His storm Guardian had had an even more extensive vocabulary on this particular subject, considering he'd mastered two more languages apart from English, Italian and Japanese at the age of twenty one.

The problem was, they were already half way through the mansion, and it really wasn't Tsuna's fault for not correcting him (maybe partly, but still). Had Hayato turned his head a little back to see who he had grabbed instead of launching into an incoherent monologue, they would have saved from all this.

The sun was rising, the first beams crawling over the sky as its golden face started to climb up the horizon and throwing trails of dark blue ink all over place. It was always a breath-taking scene to watch, Tsuna thought.

"You shouldn't stay there",he said, glancing back at the sulky form lying on the ground nearby. Receiving no reaction, he sighed and stood up, moving closer to the teen. Hayato's eyes were closed and he did not seem inclined to change that at any moment.

Tsuna poked him in his cribs with his finger. Hard.

Hayato immediately let out a startled sound, his eyes blazing with anger.

"What are you doing, you crazy head?"

"I'm prodding you."

The glare he got could melt cheese for real. Tsuna just arched an unimpressive eyebrow.

"You're kind of rude, you know. Dragging me here out of blue then promptly ignoring me. I think prodding you is the least privilege I could have. Anyway, you should go now if you don't want to get arrested for your earlier stunt. I'm sure they're not pleased to know what you've done."

Tsuna didn't know about the others, but he knew for about a hundred of percentage that Reborn wouldn't let it go easily. The hitman would make the bomber his shooting dummy because he was a sadist who disliked defiance.

Even Tsuna thought twice before throwing a smoke bomb right under his nose like that. And he was his student.  _Had_  been his student, actually.

"Tsk, as if they aren't searching right now."

"Are you saying you're waiting for them to come?"

"There's no escape. If this is where Narumi lives, the security must be perfect,"Hayato gave him a dark look indicating he thought Tsuna was mentally slow "I just wanted to talk to Narumi. I never thought I'd get the wrong person."

Tsuna tried to ignore the pang of hurt inside his chest. It stung nonetheless.

He bit the inside of his cheek, cleared his throat and said, "So if I said I knew a safe way to go out of here, what'd you say?"

"You're lying."

Tsuna looked up to the sky which was wide and magnificent then he stared directly into the emerald swamps which were Hayato's orbs. His smile was small, tentative. This time, however, his voice was full of confidence, "Oh yeah? You want to bet? You know, to me, someone treating me to breakfast is always nice!"

.

.

.

_Challenge accepted._

* * *

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.

Tsuna lead them into the Garden, which is actually designed as a labyrinth and happened to be nearest to their current place.

Comparing to his mind map, Tsuna pinpointed that they were in the corner of the mansion, which was good news. The Vongola mansion was an in town one. If they could go across the street, they'd have the liberty to roam as freely as they pleased. The only thing that stood between them and that wonderful scenario was tall walls and cameras and security guards armed with hidden guns.

Easy enough.

Fifteen minutes later, they stopped by the fountain in the centre of the green maze for a break. Tsuna certainly didn't need it, but he thought Hayato would. The teen looked like he was ready to go off at the first suspicious sound. The fountain, like the rest of the mansion, was huge and exquisite with water spilling out from the lion heads with statues surrounding the lot.

Tsuna saw his reflection in the water. It looked a lot like he had been run over by a truck, his hair stuck out in every direction. He tried to smooth them down with some help of water droplets, but to no avail.

He took a glance at Hayato, who was fixed his gaze on the coins under the shining water. A look of scrutiny dominated the teen's face and he seemed lost in thoughts, his silver hair glistening under the morning rays like a white halo. His clothes were wrinkled after the run, not a fate as tragical as those of Tsuna though, and gave him an impression of the wild and untamed.

Tsuna recalled the first time he met the boy, Hayato was such a perfect image of bad boy type and he was more than a little scared when the silver haired teen declared himself as a mafiaso and started throwing dynamites in his face.

Tsuna let out a light chuckle at the memories, earning a trademark glare from the silver haired teen.

"What?!"

"Nothing," Tsuna said, shaking his head, "Let's move on."

* * *

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They soon reached the edge of the building, where the security and patrol significantly increased. However, Tsuna could still find a loop among the guard's paths, mostly by his instinct and his observation. He helped Hayato climb up the concrete wall, well aware that they were short on time if they didn't want to get caught. They might hide from the guards, but not from the camera two feet from the ground, hidden in the trees in the vicinity.

"Now, what am I going to do?" He murmured, wiping dust off his shoulder as Hayato succeeded in getting out.

He was finally alone, but he didn't quite like to go back to the main house.

Tsuna carefully turned his back to the cameras. It was bad enough to have them recording, he'd find an alternative way if having more time. But at the moment, all he could afford was not letting his Flame being spotted.

Landing was not a problem. He had enough experience and knowledge to keep his momentum from propelling him away and into the ground, maintaining his balance when he had to stop fully on the balls of his feet. The tricky part, then, lay in the jumping process.

Exhaling, he silently calculated the distance required to take a move.

Tsuna used every ounce of his bursting speed boost by his ability, racing toward the wall then jumped as high as he could. His hand reached the top of the wall and with one swift motion, he hefted his whole body over it to the other side. "Watch out!" He called out, just for good measure, before landing quietly right beside Hayato.

"What-" Hayato clearly didn't expect him to follow, his jaw slacked-off.

Tsuna didn't stop to answer though, he immediately grasped Hayato's hand and streaked both of them across the street and into a nearby alleyway. The adrenaline running through his veins made him feel high and giddy. The laugh escaping his mouth was heartfelt and light, out of sheer excitement and satisfaction.

"Hey, can I borrow your phone?" He grinned, wiping some cold sweat clinging to his temple, "I want to text my mother but I forgot mine back there."

Hayato, still in a daze, dug his hand into the pocket and pulled out a phone. The teen handed it to him without words, staring at him with an incredulous expression.

Tsuna quickly texted his mother, imagining the look on her face when she discovered the reason he ditched her for breakfast and perhaps, this following afternoon. It would be resignation mixed with desperation, he guessed.

He turned his head to Hayato, a smile tugging his lips upwards, "Hey, what are you waiting for? I'm  _starving._ "

* * *

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.

Being a sweet-tooth type, Italian breakfast was like heaven. Tsuna loved it. He couldn't find anywhere in the world where one could have so much sweet stuff in the morning. He'd ordered chocolate pastries, and a cup of hot cappuccino and the waiter hadn't even batted an eyelash at him.

Hayato, however, looked at him like he was sprouting another head. The teen simply asked for a glass of water in turn. It kind of made Tsuna worried, mostly for the teen's health but also for the premature scenario that perhaps they might have to wash the dishes or run off when Hayato confessed there wasn't enough money to check the bill.

"Who are you?"

Tsuna blinked, the answer rolling off his mouth automatically after too many rehearsals in the past. "Sawada Tsunayoshi. But just call me Tsuna, please."

"It's not what I'm talking about!" Hayato said, his voice tinted with annoyance.

"I'm afraid I do not understand what you're talking about then." Tsuna said, trying his best to hide a wistful smile. The short-temper of his Storm Guardian might have been honed and well-conceal by time, but his younger version had never been the best example for subtlety.

"You!" the scowl directing at his face was increased at least ten degree in heat, "Who are you? You seem to know the way through the Vongola mansion. How can you know that? I've never seen you around. And I know a lot of people around the T-Narumi."

 _Oh, so it's all about my younger brother then…_  Tsuna squished a surge of something definitely not jealousy crawling into his mind when Hayato mentioned his younger brother's name with unconcealed respect. He said hesitantly, testing the water, "It's because I'm not people around Narumi. And I know about the mansion because I've explored it a bit."

"The f*ck you are. You –" Hayato's frown deepened. Tsuna knew he was on the verge of bombing him with more questions.

Fortunately, the food was arrived in time, the perfect intervention much to Tsuna's relief and Hayato's annoyance. The teen shut his jaw and glare dagger at the waiter instead, the poor man just didn't understand why his customer looked like he was on one step away from murdering him in cold blood.

It was not until Tsuna had the first bite of his food that he realized how hungry he had been. His empty stomach whole-heartedly appreciated the soothing effect of finally having something to fill its hollowness.  _Hmm, it seems my appetite's coming back._  .. Tsuna vaguely thought, wolfing down the disk in recorded time.

"Mmm….. It's so good." he moaned, unaware of how appropriate and...  _erotic_  his voice sounded.

There was a choked sound a short distance away, which made Tsuna raise his head up to find that the silver haired teen was now eyeing him with a tomato face. He lifted an eyebrow, then put his hand to the corner of his mouth, checking for the crumbs or something unusual. He found nothing.

"Is there something on my face?" He asked, confused.

"N—nothing." Hayato stuttered, eyes everywhere but him.

"Is that so?" Tsuna said, shrugging his shoulder and slowing down his pace of ingestion nonetheless. "Can I ask you a questions?"

"….What?"

"What's your name?"

"….Gokudera."

"I see," Tsuna said, returned to chewing on his pastry. He could tell Hayato's vigilant orbs burning hole in his face without even looking up.

He could push harder, he knew. In fact, he wanted to dig his hand deeper into the question of why and what Hayato was doing, coming to Vongola mansion at such a late (or too early) hour and causing a scene… Tsuna wanted to pry and pry until the truth was laid out in front of him as there was no secret between them.

But he also could refrain himself from doing that. The temptation was hardly worth the consequences it'd bring along. Hayato was already wary of him, of his over -friendly attitude and his knowledge. No doubt, in his mind the teen was mulling over his interior motives.

 _Ugh, I think I gave him a perfect reason to think that way…._  Tsuna suppressed a groan in frustration. Now he thought about it, he tended to overreact when being around his friends. Guardians. Family. It was hard not to, especially because of their tight bond in his world, and he guessed he was just…missing them too much to let a chance with them slide.

As soon as Tsuna'd put down the fork, Hayato immediately called out to for a check. This time, the other waiter came.

Tsuna just only had enough time to wipe his mouth with napkin before scrambling his feet to run after the quick retreating form of Hayato.

His legs strode forwards, catching up to and walking side by side with him. They somehow engaged in a bizarre competition, in which Hayato tried to outrun him while Tsuna tried to keep up next to the teen. Eventually, a vein in Hayato's temple popped up and the teen snapped at him, "Stop following me. What the hell do you want?"

"I don't know where I am," he said, looking lost and confused ...

From the glare of Hayato, it might be not as convincing as he hoped. Tsuna bit his lower lip thoughtfully.  _Time for drama_. "You can't just leave me like this. I really don't know the way here. I'm just a tourist. Hey, it's true, don't give me that  _look_!"

"Surely your pathetic skull is not that thick to remember the way to return to the mansion. You all but dragged me here!"

"Of course I am. But I can't go back now… _Wait_ , where are you going?"

"It's none of your business."

"Gokudera, I mean it. I can't go back now. Someone will skin me alive because I helped you out."

There, he'd said it.

His lie.

He darted his eyes to the other side, not wanting to witness the flash of guilt or anger or anything in Hayato's. It was a low blow, and Tsuna really considered it a last resort to call up any form of manipulation to deal with his friends. It was just…it might be the first and only chance he could share with Hayato, and he just wanted to be with him longer.

The sun was high in the sky by now, casting a warm shaft upon all the things beneath its rays. But Tsuna felt like a chill had crept up his body, leaving goose bump all over the way. The pavement they were standing made him feel exposed, their position too near the crowd road for his liking.

Unconsciously, he took a glance at a corner to his left, where he thought a pair of eyes watching them from afar. They hid well, but Tsuna was accustomed with this kind of being followed. Yesterday was a perfect example. The Vongola surely got their eyes and hands everywhere.

Tsuna would regret his moment of distraction later, however, as a shriek of horn chimed right next to the right of his ear. Whatever happened afterwards, it felt like an hour, but in truth, it took no more than around one minute.

A car materialized beside them on the pavement.

A hand shot out towards them.

And then there was Hayato's yelp as he was pulled roughly into the car.

Without any hesitation, Tsuna grabbed hold of Hayato's arm with his hand, trying to pull him back. He stumbled along the way instead, the force gripping Hayato also forcing him to fall through the open door of the car. Above his head, the blue sky was immediately replaced by the shady top panels inside, and the car seemed to leap as its engine came to life within seconds, hitting the road once again.

Tsuna gasped when he lay face down on Hayato's back, his nose catching the smell of sweat and gun powder. Of cigarette. Of memories.

"What the  _hell_ \- There's  _another_  kid!"

" _Close_  the door! You fucking idiot! Do you want us to get caught? -"

The car's door immediately shut down behind them with a heavy 'thud'.

There was a lot of cursing, or a lot of argument or so. Tsuna didn't pay much attention, he didn't care. The fragment of the noises around him faded to faraway land when he noticed Hayato was way too much immobile under his weight. No twitching, no cursing, no response even as he tried to pinch his shoulder.

The thread of rising agitation was cut down, however, when Tsuna checked Hayato's pulse. Its steady rhythm was soothing enough to keep him calm again.

But the lingering smell of tranquilizers alarmed him.

"-Just shut the kid up, okay?"

A hand appeared in his peripheral vision. There was one more hand coming when he struggled to move in the small vicinity. He shielded Hayato with his wiry body, feeling like an animal being corned to the wall.

"Hey, take it easy… - Goddamnit, this motherfucker  _bit_  me!"

He tasted coppery in his mouth. He suppressed his urge to spit the blood out at the twisted face before him.

It would be not wise, considering the situation.

He needed to find a way out. Quickly.

This thought, however, was frozen as he heard the sharp click of a trigger lock being released from a gun.

 _Shit_.

"Cut it out, kiddo. And you, quit your pathetic moaning and finish your job quickly. "

"He  _bit_  my fingers!"

"Yeah, whatever. You fucking deserved it if you're too weak to not being capable of handling a kid. Now  _shut_  the hell up! Unlike some fucking useless idiot, I need to drive"

The taste of blood once again filled on the tip of his tongue, this time it was his own, as his cheek was backhanded and his head swung a little to the other side.

Somehow, he managed to spit his blood out in time with a precise aim right at his attacker's face before that bastard could shove a stench-filled cloth to his nose.

_"Yoursonofabitch!—"_

He smiled.

The darkness stroked him dearly.

* * *

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**_Extra:_ **

**_A message and a suggestion._ **

_Mother, I've made a friend! Hanging out now. Maybe late for lunch._

_P/S: Actually, don't wait for me. I'll call you later. Love you~_

Nana shook her head a little as she read the message from an unknown number.

Sometimes, Tsuna was just ridiculous.

And she was more than curious to know whom he'd made a friend.

 _That one must be somewhat special,_  she thought, because her son wasn't the type attaching to someone easily, especially at such a short time.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't scold her son when he got back. Yeah, she would definitely did it seriously this time.

"Why are you smiling so brightly, my dearest?"

Nana looked up from her phone, startled to see her husband standing near her without her notice. In this short distance, she could see clearly the wrinkle around the corner of his eyes as he smiled at her tenderly. Her traitorous heart instantly faltered a beat.

"It's nothing. Just about Tsuna", said she softly, averting her eyes elsewhere and completely missing the cold flash in his own.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing is wrong with him," she replied defensively in instant, frowning at the demanding tone of him.

The tension automatically added in the mood surrounding them.

"What're you doing here?" She said, taking two steps backward and thus lengthening the space between them.

"I'm sorry, dear," her husband signed eventually, holding his palms open like surrender flags, "It's that there're a lot of things happening around and I kind of ….well, you know, I'm nervous. I just want to see you and tell you something."

She said nothing, but her stance relaxed gradually, it seemed to be enough for a cue for her husband to continue.

He looked straight into her eyes, and slowly, he said, "Do you want to live here with me and Narumi, my love?"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Beta'd by SawadaTsunayoshiLover and** **pamellka** _

_**.** _

_**.** _

* * *

"Where is it, you filthy thief?"

Noise. A voice?  _Unfamiliar voice._

"I've told you!-Urg."

A familiar voice.  _Who? What is that loud sound?_   _Somebody was being beaten?_

"There's nothing there. You liar! There's nothing in that damn box!"

His skin was drenched with sweat. Uncomfortable.

Clanking sound. Cold. Metal around his wrists.

_Am I bound? Why?_

_Who's the one in pain? His voice sounds familiar._

"Maybe we should pull out your teeth. You won't need them if you keep lying."

"Don't blame …s-somebody just because your brain is too tiny to process a simple instruction t-to find  _it_ …You bastard!"

That voice. He knew it!

_Hayato!_

* * *

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His whole body was so heavy he couldn't move an inch of his body. Tsuna groaned as a migraine silently reigned in his mind, drowning his thoughts into a deeply tangled mess. He decided he hated being drugged with a passion; these disturbing feelings after waking up should be banned at all cost.

For a moment all he could do was screw his eyes shut. Then he opened them, blinked a few times in an attempt to ease the dizzy state of his mind.

It worked wonderfully, until a thunderous sound rang through his ears, causing his brow to furrow as a result. He averted his eyes quickly to the source of the noise… and, well, Tsuna just felt  _it_.

The feeling he had long forgotten recently. The dark emotion lurked in the corner of his old life, the one igniting his very spirit to fire.

Fury.

The man who had threatened Hayato had dirty blond hair and a bulky build. He wore black pants and a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his arms. If things went the way Tsuna thought, the man would find himself losing one or some limbs quickly. Perhaps some broken legs would teach him a lesson.

Because how dare he swing at Hayato like he was a practice dummy just like that?

The thing was, he didn't like pain. One might think he had  _that_  tendency for having a sadist as a tutor. But no, he was not a masochist, thank you very much. He just had a high tolerance for pain thanks to his crazy life style before, and  _again_ , for said sadistic tutor.

The most important thing was that he loathed seeing his friends in pain. It took him some times to realize, but apparently he'd developed quite a destructive and protective trait when dealing with the situation in which his friend got hurt.

Somebody hurt him badly, they might met with mercy.

Somebody hurt his friend badly? They'd better have a death wish, since there would be no mercy for them.

It was kind of aggressive, Tsuna admitted, but if you didn't draw a line of virtue clearly, someone would have no qualm to take advantage of it and abuse it for their own good.

Seeing Hayato gasp in ragged breaths then pass out by the hard kicks aiming at his stomach fueled his fury further. It didn't help at all to soothe the beast inside him that wanted nothing but blood for revenge. There was a roar in his ears, a pinch in his chest. Tsuna saw red, the sound coming out of his mouth almost like a growl as he snarled, " **STOP**!"

The cool, thick rings of handcuffs dug into his skin as he frantically struggled. The whole metal chair shook along with him, but it still didn't move an inch. Its legs were firmly attached into the floor.

There was an amused sound in the air, and it soon evolved into some kind of deafening laughter. The piercing noise crashed through the otherwise quiet room, agitating the other men to laugh along.

"Look who's talking now. Seems like the Sleeping Beauty is finally awake. Hey cutie, wanna join the party?"

Tsuna knew he was being razzed.

He craned his neck around to see who had sprouted that nonsense, so he could vent his rage on them later. Whatever he'd expected, however, went out the window the moment he laid his eyes on the man. He stared hard and unbelieving, wondering if it was a trick, because there was no way it could be  _him_.

The Lightning Arcobaleno, Verde.

Verde looked exactly like the last time he saw him, with his usual white lab-coat.  _What the heck is he doing here?_

"Verde?" Tsuna said, incredulous.

"You two know each other?" A young, black haired man clad in expensive suit chimed in. Tsuna had totally ignored him in favor of focusing on the Arcobaleno. He must have been the one who had laughed at him.

The Lightning Arcobaleno didn't answer, nor did he change his expression; in fact, he looked... bored.

Tsuna held his breath as the green haired man shook his head after mometaritly inspecting him through his glasses.

"I see." The young man smirked. "Good! Hey, what are you waiting for, Buck? Get your job done. Our honorable guest right here is a busy man. We shouldn't let Mr. Verde waste his time."

The man-that-would-soon-have-broken-legs, Buck, turned around to face Tsuna and… Okay, that bare-teeth smile was totally creepy. He glared at the bulkier man as he approached, and tried his best to keep his face away from the large hand reaching out to touch him.

"Tsk, who do you think you are, kiddo?" The man said, raising Tsuna's chin up with the tip of his fingers.

"Not a bastard like you!" Tsuna responded, venom crawling in his words.

Buck smirked, released his chin but ran a hand down his neck to his collarbone instead. Tsuna didn't even twitch. He knew the man was just trying to unsettle him, to make him uncomfortable; to mess with his mind so it would race with all the possible things that could be done to him. Standard interrogation tactic, subtle yet effective.

Too bad it didn't apply to him.

"The little shit over there stole something very important from us. And he went so far as to lie to us about its whereabouts. You'd better be a good boy and tell us where it is. That pretty face of yours, I really don't want to ruin it."

And now they were threatening him? Oh, it would be  _so_  exciting to show them what he could do to  _their_ face.

Feeling his patience wearing thin, Tsuna averted his gaze to get a general look at the whole room.

Enemies: A bored Arcobaleno(?), a young man (a young Boss?), an absolute asshole that begged to be punched, and 3 men (minions?)

His status: chained, small external wounds.

Aims: Kick somebody's ass, get the hell out of here.

Conclusion: He must activate his HDW mode, make him a hostage and find a way out.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna closed his dark brown eyes, concentrating.

When he opened his eyes again, they were the color of pure amber, tinted with golden threads around the pupils.

With a newfound strength, the brunet easily freed himself out of the chains, and wasted no time to pursuit his plan.

Tsuna punched at the Solar Plexus of the nearest opponent, snapped his head back, watching the way the strapping man gaped in pain, his eyes out of focus as spit slid down his chin. Not giving the others a moment to recover, he approached another man in a blink of an eye and kicked him hard in his shin, satisfied to hear a piercing scream coming out of his mouth . The man's leg would be useless for a long time.

The question was, should he carried on his sweet revenge thoroughly?

 _An eye for an eye could turn the world blind_ , Tsuna thought , repeatedly until it became a mantra ringing through his mind, echoed in his head and spreading through his body. It was like an anchor to calm the bloodthirsty beast seeking for poetic justice for those who dared to harm what was  _his_.

 _Not now,_  he told himself,  _we must escape first._

Then there were bullets raining down on him, fast and lethal. Just plain,  _normal_  bullets for a Sky Flame User.

 _Really,_ is this the best you can manage _? Are you kidding me?_

Tsuna didn't know whether he should laugh or feel offended at these pathetic attempts.

For a fraction of a second, he swiftly dodged aside, letting the missing bullets hit empty air. He then came straight to the young man next to Verde, who was the apparent leader, and had no difficulty to disarm the gun aimed at him. It was even easier to pry the gun off and made it his own.

Just a few seconds and everything was done. By the time the other men barely noticed it, Tsuna already had a gun barrel aim at their leader's temple.

"That-that is a Flame!"

"The kid is a Flame User!"

Surprised murmurs broke out in the room, each one was louder and more terrified than the previous one.

"The flame… the color of your eyes, the color of your flame… Impossible! It can't be… You ..You're the future Vongola Decimo, Narumi?" The young man looked at him like he was a monster, and Tsuna mentally agreed with him. A monster he was and would be, for his Family.

Tsuna stated calmly, "Everyone hold their hands above your heads. NOW!"

His order was immediately obeyed.

"I think there is a misunderstanding here, Decimo. We're not meant to take you along."

"I'm not the Vongola Decimo," was Tsuna's cold response.

"Ah, it's just a matter of time…  _Everyone_  knows it. Signore, you see, I just want to fetch back what the kid over there stole from us. I swear I never mean to… to reflect any harm to you. Please believe me. Can-can you lower the gun a little bit?"

"That boy you hit, he's my friend." Tsuna said, watching the color drained from the young man's face.

The young man then turned his eyes to Verde, silently asking for help in desperation.

"Don't be dumb, he won't help you… Right, Verde? How's your new invention going? The last time I dropped by, I remmember that you still complained about the lack of elegance in the way it works. I'm sorry I broke one of your tubes. But to be fair, I honestly had no idea how important it was until you explained. I know you're still angry at me but  _please_  forgive me. If you need anything from us, just ask. The offer is still on the table." Tsuna lied smoothly, his expression betrayed nothing but self- confidence with a touch of arrogance.

The scientist remained expressionless, while a defeated, ashen-look dominated the young man's face.

"Can you help me move my friend to the outside? I'm a bit preoccupied." Tsuna continued.

He watched as Verde hesitated for a second before he reluctantly walked over to Hayato's side and picked him up.

Inside, Tsuna sighed in utter relief. It seemed that he'd won. With his HDW mode, his sense were much better than normal. And when it came to illusion territories, his intuition, like a radar, was always right.

_This man was not Verde. He's an illusionist wearing Verde's face._

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.

.

They made it to the exit without trouble. It really was a miracle to how co-operative one could be when they had a gun aimed at their temple. Or maybe it was because of the back–up power coming from the title of "future Vongola Decimo", that could terrify anybody in the underworld, especially when accompanied with an Arcobaleno, or maybe both. Well, whatever. The bossy man was behaving. It was a good thing.

In short, things went so smoothly Tsuna couldn't help but fear the moment it would all go downhill.

Damn his pessimism and his hyper intuition.

Closing the door to the underground basement behind him, Tsuna screwed his eyes shut momentarily at the bright light, then opened them tentatively. The sun was high in the sky, and an eerie silence wrapped its fingers around them, everyone keeping quiet..  _Seems like it's afternoon already_ , he thought, scrutinizing his surroundings for any potential threat.

There was nothing unusual until he caught the sight of a dense bush five feet away from his place. Just looking at it made his gut churn. Tsuna went rigid, his guard up.

"Who's there? Step out!" He called out.

Nothing happened. Tsuna pressed his lips into a thin line, his body ready to bolt. He was sure somebody was there. If they didn't want to show themselves, he would do it for them.

The bush remained silent for a few seconds before a shadow stepped out from it. Considering the tall frame and outline shape, that person was a man. Only when the man let himself walk under the sunlight did Tsuna see him clearly: fedora hat, dressed in black with an orange shirt tucked beneath, a faint smirk on his mouth.

"Reborn…" Tsuna mumbled, feeling like he was paralyzed. He suddenly had the urge to rub his eyes, just to see if he was hallucinating. The man… He was Reborn in all his glory. Feral and inquisitive.

Tsuna stared at the adult form of the Arcobaleno, but the gaze of said person didn't focus on him, his black eyes darting between him and the one besides him.

"What are you doing here, Verde?" The hitman said.

The other Arcobaleno didn't utter a word. He just let out a long sigh, like he was suffering from something abhorrent and exhausting.

"Hey you! I don't know who you are but if you can save me from these bastards here, I promise you will have generous pay- Arg!" The young boss could only groan before collapsing onto the dirty ground, unconscious.

Tsuna took a step back as the man and locked his onyx eyes to his own, a cold smirk tugging on his lips.  _Is it too late to turn around and run?_  Tsuna wondered, swallowing hard.

"Don't worry, he is just sleeping." The Sun Arcobaleno said. The gun in his hand transformed into a chameleon. It climbed up the hitman's arm, and rested on his shoulder.

Tsuna tried not to stare too much at the familiar scene.

The man stalked forward until he was in front of Tsuna, all tall and intimidating. And too close to his liking. Tsuna managed not to flinch away at the sudden intrusion to his personal space.

"And you, your mother didn't teach you not to follow a stranger?"

Tsuna stiffened, a chill running down his spine at the deep and sensual baritone timbre.

"She doesn't know."

He did his best to look the other straight in the eyes, returning the intense gaze with an unwavering one of his own. It was a difficult task, since it was  _Reborn_. Not his sadistic tutor Reborn, nor his personal advisor Reborn, and not even the baby or kid Reborn, but Reborn, the hitman. In his adult form.

He doubted he could hold onto the staring contest any longer than a few minutes. A large part of him declared this whole standing up to Reborn-the-hitman-in-his-handsome-adult-form (and don't forget the super sadistic part) spelled similar to 'stupid' and 'suicidal', and quitely added that he should call it quit ASAP because,  _dude, do you want to survive or not?_

"Who are you?" He broke the eye-contact.

"The best hitman in the world." The man said, arrogant in every word.

Tsuna suddenly felt a moment of déjà vu, like, yesterday, he and Reborn the kid had exchanged these exact words under a night sky.

"You…" He said, frowning as he realized he didn't know what to say.  _How did you return to your true form? Is your curse lifted?_  He was really curious, but knew better to actually ask these questions.

In this close distance he could smell a compelling fragrance from the older man, a pleasantly mix of espresso beans, dark and bitter chocolate… along with something like patchouli, and a scent of which reminiscent of clove and some unknown herb.  _La Via del Profumo Milano Caffè._  One of Reborn's favorite colognes. The hitman liked to wear it on his missions in Italy, since it helped him blend better in the background there. Tsuna had told the hitman that he just loved his drink so much he couldn't resist the scent. Needless to say, Tsuna had suffered for his slip of the tongue that day.

 _Am I his mission?_  Tsuna thought deliberately. He didn't like the sound of it.

In the background, A cough interrupted their staring match. Tsuna drifted his eyes to meet Verde's impatient look.

"Let's get out of here." The Lightning Arcobaleno said, already stepping forwards.

After a minute of walking in silence, Reborn called out, pointing to the opposite direction. "The escape path is actually on the other side."

The Lightning Arcobaleno, who was on his way far ahead of them, stopped abruptly and turned his head back scowling.

A moment later, he came back, shooting Reborn a withering glare. "You can say so sooner."

Reborn just smirked.

Tsuna gave Verde a sympathetic look.

_Sometimes, if not always, one would pay generously just to see Reborn being punched in the face._

* * *

.

.

.

Together, they walked quickly with the instruction from Reborn. The initial plan was to run so they could move faster, but after watching Hayato's body bouncing up and down like some kind of ragged doll on Verde's shoulder, Tsuna talked them out of it. Now Hayato looked like a sack of potatoes on Verde's shoulder.

He kind of wanted to help Hayato more but … Tsuna gazed down at his slender arms, heaved out a frustrated sigh. his frame was even shorter than that of the silver-haired boy; there was no way he could move the teen but drag him on the ground. It would surely made Hayato's injuries worse.

Tsuna kept his temper in control though. Reborn was currently staring at him like a hawk, while Verde was staring at the both of them.

Suddenly he had a strange feeling that made him stop abruptly. His heart was beating fast. Too fast.

"What's up?" Reborn asked. The hitman ceased to walk, too, and was now looking at him curiously.

"I don't know." Tsuna shook his head, confused. A shiver ran down his spine. It was a bizarre experience, he had no idea what made his body react that way. Usually it was a sign of bad luck or…

Oh.

_Oh._

_Do you really need to walk down that path again, Mukuro?_

"Where are we?" Tsuna asked slowly, afraid of the upcoming answer.

It was Reborn who answered his question. He looked skeptical at Tsuna's change of tone. "Estraneo Famiglia's estate."

Tsuna's eyes widened at that statement.  _It really is_ … He averted his gaze to Verde. The scientist currently stared vacantly ahead, like he was not paying attention to their conversation.

Now that Tsuna thought about it, the stillness in the air and silence in the area made sense... Surely there must have been some guards in the underground basement warning other guards and members in this base about their escape. But if the ones they called to was dealing with trouble too... Well, the game would change dramatically.

And that meant he needed to alter his plan, too.

"Hey, can you help me?" Tsuna said to Reborn, "It seems that I've dropped my phone in the basement earlier. Would you mind getting it back for me?"

Reborn narrowed his eyes, seemingly annoyed. "You can buy a new one."

"Yeah, but it's my third phone in four months and uhm, as you can see, I'm not rich. Besides, it contains all of my important contacts and other stuff." Tsuna sighed, resting his face on his hand. When he looked up again, he schooled his face into his 'puppy mode' – including big, sad, and helpless eyes that made everyone cringe inside with pity. "…Please? I really can't leave without it."

Reborn's expression was very complicated.

Before Tsuna could interpret it, the hitman had already regained his poker face. "…Okay, where is it exactly?"

Tsuna told him its (fake) whereabout with a detailed description of his phone. Not until the hitman was out of sight that Tsuna swept a thin line of sweat forming on his forehead. By any means, a suspicious Reborn was a  _scary_ Reborn _._  Tsuna didn't want to think what would happen to him later when Reborn found out that he was tricked by a teenager.  _Nope_.

"You want to talk to me?" Verde, who kept silent from the beginning, said. The scientist looked like he want to cross his arms, but with Hayato currently laid on his shoulders, it was kind of impossible.

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" Tsuna titled his head to the side.

'He could almost smell it in the air.. The familiar scent of blood. Lots of blood.

He bristled at that sensation, and held down the impulse to disassemble the illusion wrapping this place and search for  _the illusionist_. This whole scenario was ridiculous. He wanted to meet  _him_ , but not in this sort of situation.

Verde said nothing,his eyes glinted with impatience.

"If I were you, I would run away quickly. Preferably now." Tsuna continued, waving his hand to the direction where Reborn just disappeared. "That guy…he's an Arcobaleno. A  _real_  one."

A crack of emotion appeared on Verde's otherwise emotionless face. It was all Tsuna needed to go on: "Hey, don't get it wrong, I'm totally okay with it. You can put on any glamour you want. But seriously? Just run! I don't know who you are, but as far as I'm concerned, Reborn won't let you go easily. Trust me, he won't. He will probably drag you to a warehouse and start his so-called interrogation. And I've never seen him fail in taking one's sanity apart."

Tsuna observed a glint of hesitation and doubt in Verde's orbs. Perhaps it would have been better if he'd said something else – like,  _Are you Ken? Chikusa? Fran?_

He did not, however, expect fake Verde to fling Hayato to the ground… Okay, he might have expected it, since his own body promptly reacted automatically, catching the silver-haired boy in time before he fell down to the hard ground.

And then he was stabbed by a blade, because it went through his skin so smoothly and almost painlessly. Almost. TPain bloomed and Tsuna stared wide-eyed, his hands moving to touch the hilt of the blade.

"I'm sorry…" It was the voice of a girl, but the face –Tsuna stared at the face of Verde the Arcobaleno, trying to find any edge that could give out the identify of his assailant.

Deep down inside he'd already made a guess, but still, he wanted to know, to see, to  _confirm_.

_Impossible. Why is she here? She shouldn't be here._

In the corner of his eyes, he could see Reborn running to him with a thunderous look. He knew the hitman wouldn't be so easy to fool. Of course the hitman would pretend to go along with his words and observe them from afar. But whether the murderous aura currently surrounding him was direct at him or the fake Arcobaleno next to him, Tsuna had no idea.

"You have one hour to give him the antidote. If I were you, I'd get him out of here right now, Arcobaleno."

All of a sudden, everything went blurry. There was a gunshot ringing through his ears, the sound so near and loudly.

 _N-No_ , Tsuna opened his mouth to object but his words seemed trapped under his breath.

Everything  _hurt_. Everything was  _dark_.

Blackout twice in one day. It was not cool. Not cool at all.

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Extra:**

**A turn of Namamori High School history's page**

"...From now on, this school is directly under my charge. I don't care who or what you are. Break my rules and I'll administer your punishment. Crowd and I'll bite you to death!"

A cold, predatory smirk tugged on his lips as he said these last words, like a promise for blood and bone, an absolute exclamation. With a swift motion, the raven haired teen walked out of the auditorium in long strides, his black coat billowing after his steps.

In his way out, every single student wearing armbands on their sleeves bowed their heads deeply to show their utter respect, while the rest of the students silently watched his every move with a mingled depiction of emotion: fear, bewilderment, confusion, awe... yet no one dared say anything until he was out of sight.

It was the longest silence in the history of Namimori High School's entrance ceremony.

Then there came the chaos.

..

.

Amidst school officers, arguments broke out.

" _Who_  let  _him_  make our traditional speech on behalf of freshman?" The headmaster said shakily, his hand clutching on his chest tightly for fear of an incoming heart-attack.

Quickly as ever, the vice principal besides him immediately pulled out his papers. After a minute of searching, he finally answered with a paled face, "It seems he's the second one who has highest score in our entrance examination, sir. The first place - Irie Shouichi, unfortunately, had a stomach ache right before he could make his speech and is now in the hospital. Thus, Hibari Kyoya naturally replaced his position as the representative of the freshman. However, I must say, sir, we're not expected to await  _that_  kind of speech."

.

.

..

On the school courtyard, there occurred the same scenario, only much louder.

"Who the fuck is this maniac?"

"Oh my god, please don't tell me, he is  _that_  Hibari? The demon of Namimori? Man, he's even a nutter than I've heard!"

"Hails DC!"

"Hibari-sama's so  _cool_! I know it's a right decision to enroll in a same school as him."

"We're all doomed!"

.

.

.

"Kusakabe-san, there is somebody over there recording the speech of Hibari-san. Now he seems to send it to someone. Shall I take his phone?" A DC member said.

Kusakabe frowned a bit at that notification. He had made it very clear that any kind of surveillance was not allowed but it seemed that there was still some dumb head having the gall to go against the warning. Jerking his head to the direction that other members was pointing, he took no time to spot a short, black haired teen in the third line who was currently texting on his phone, a huge grin brightened his face.

He stopped abruptly on his track.

"Leave him be," Kusakabe said eventually, his mouth twisting upwards. "He's not an outsider."

Yamamoto was hardly a problem. He hoped that the raven haired teen would send the record to a certain brunet, so the brunet could see how awesome Kyoya-san was just now.

Now, it was time to plot a new recruit campaign to a certain brunet.

"You seem busy a lot, boy."

Kusakabe almost jumped at the familiar voice. The voice had represented absolute power in his younger day, and still caused chills running down his spine at the present.

"Mrs-Mrs… Ayako?" Kusakabe stuttered, trying to put a strain smile on his face but failed miserably. "It's nice… to meet you here. H-How have you been lately?"

"Oh, I'm great. Thank you for asking. I just think I can't miss the first day in tge high school of my son, even if I didn't have any notification of it," Standing five meters near to him was a long, black-haired woman dressed in purple kimono, accompanied with several strangers in black hovering around.

At the first glance, one might say she has a beauty of a white calla lily, captivating yet delicate, with her aristocratic features and slender frame. But if you looked closely, very closely, there was something exceedingly cold and calculating lingering in her gray eyes. It was, as absurd as it might be when describing a dainty woman, strangely resemblance to a dangerous predator.

Kusakabe felt like a hunted prey under her scrutiny.

"So, where is  _the person_  that makes my dear son swoon over lately?"

"….That person isn't here, Mrs Ayako." It's useless to deny, Kusakabe supposed, Mrs. Ayako must have been done her own research before coming here. After all, it was her hobby to gather information about her beloved son.

" _Oh_?"

"Mrs. Ayako, you don't want to see Kyo-san?" Kusakabe asked, in a desperate attempt to change the topic.

Much to his surprise, he succeeded.

"Oh, I think the question is whether he wants to see me. Are you sure he didn't leave ealier because he saw me coming?"

Kusakabe quickly amend his question. "So, do you want me to tell him anything?"

"Tell him his father didn't tolerate his absence in the New Year feast. He expects to see him in two weeks in the annual meeting. And remind him not to forget to bring his new  _mate_  along! We are all thrilled to see them. Do you understand?" The woman said, smiling.

And then, she left, escorted by those black men to a limo car waiting outside the school gate.

"…Yes, ma'am. I'll try my best." Kusakabe couldn't help but tremble a bit. That smile was strongly reminisced of Kyo-san's on his bloodthirsty state. And it was never a good sign. By now, sweat had been gathering on Kusakabe's forehead, streaming down his face as he realized what a tangled mess he'd got himself into.

_Oh my, are you trying to take my head off, Mrs. Ayako? It's not that you don't know about Kyoya-san's revulsion toward crowds. It's impossible to persuade him to introduce Tsuna-san to the members of the main house… I'll be bitten to death just by saying those words…_


	12. Tame the Storm

**Beta'd by Feethei.**

* * *

**.**

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.

The first thing Tsuna saw when he woke up was the familiar ceiling of Vongola mansion, blue-violet and carved with flowers and complex animal-like curves. He blinked his eyes for a few times before closing them again, rearing for another nap.

"I know you've awoken, so get up. It's noon already." A deep voice stated from somewhere close.

"Reborn, you can't believe what I've dreamt of. It was insane." He groaned, still immobile in his lying position. It didn't take him more than one second to know who was talking with him.

"Oh, how so?"

"If you promise to give me at least two days of rest, maybe I'll tell you." Tsuna said, aiming for nonchalance, and waited for a wicked retort or a twisted threat to be thrown his way. Even a bullet sounded nice. Hell, he couldn't believe there was a day he would actively seek for Reborn's sadistic streak, but Tsuna guessed he was very desperate for reassurance now.

Assured to know that he was still who he was. Assured that he was still in his world. The dream was too real, he almost thought he'd actually lived in it.

He opened his eyes, however, when nothing happened.

On a black wooden chair next to his bed, Reborn was sitting cross-legged, scrutinizing him with his sharp eyes. To his right, large opened glass windows showed a peaceful overview of the courtyard and breezes coming through them slightly swayed the ice blue drapes on their sides. Tsuna himself was laying on a four-poster bed near the hearth of the room, his grogginess diminishing.

"Why am I here?" He asked slowly, a thread of trepidation coiling in his gut. Judging from the decoration and furniture, he was currently in Vongola's guest room, which was weird as it was. Even when he'd fallen asleep on some benches in the garden a few times before, he'd always found himself in his own room, or sometimes, in one of his Guardians or Reborn's, depending who had brought him back that time.

Reborn gave him a look that Tsuna couldn't decipher. Was it suspicion he interpreted in that?

Nevertheless, the hitman finally answered, "You were injured yesterday, I had no choice but to drag you back here. I've told your mother that you fell on a stairway at the park. How are you feeling?"

"I- I feel like I was stabbed." Tsuna unconsciously put his hand on his stomach, where a knife had been skewed through. The memories flooded his mind at Reborn words, sweeping away any doubts he'd stored. Finally, he recalled what and why he was here. It turned out that the dream, no, the nightmare was reality.

He forced himself to hold Reborn's stare with an unsettled feeling in a pit of his stomach. He'd seen Reborn's stoic face like this before, and usually it promised nothing good. And more importantly, it usually wasn't leveled at him.

There was a void stretching in the center of Tsuna's chest, a hollow sensation like the ache of being in a busy crowd, but finding himself excised from the rest of the world. The presence of a familiar person that was so distant now made his inner mind swung dangerously, as though he was drunk.

Oh, how he wished he'd just been drunk, so all these cruel facts would just be his wild imagination. He suddenly wanted to laugh aloud. And he did laugh, bitterly and frustratedly.

Reborn now eyed him as if he had gone crazy, which was close enough to the truth. Because what the hell, he had actually been living in a parallel world for more than a year. It was truly an incredible feat that he managed to keep his sanity still intact.

His face then paled at his previous slip of his tongue. What the hell had been wrong with his mind? Blowing his cover like that?

Several possibilities came across his mind as he tried to figure the best way to minimize the damage he had done. Fortunately, he'd only blurted out the name of Reborn, rather than some stuff that would seriously gain him the straight ticket to an asylum. Like dimension-travel. Or taking over a dead body.

The wisest choice at the present seemed to be playing dumb.

Right, he could do it...

"How do you know my name?" Reborn asked him in out of blue.

...Or not.

Can't you slow down your minds speed a little bit so I can keep up with your thinking? Tsuna thought drily.

"I do?" Arching an eyebrow, Tsuna looked confused. Internally, he wanted to bang his head hard enough at something so he could pass out and avoid this conversation. " I don't think I did. What's your name, anyway?"

"You just said it a minute ago."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No."

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

For a moment, both of their faces twitched as they couldn't believe they'd engaged in such a childish and useless confrontation.

Tsuna coughed and averted his eyes to the ceiling. "So-Whah-"

The front of his shirt was grabbed roughly and before Tsuna knew it, he had been slammed hard down onto the floor. Pain bloomed in his back, and the brunet hissed in surprise when cold, long fingers wrapped around his throat, threatening to choke him with their force.

From the corner of his eye, Tsuna watched Reborn crouching down beside him. His other hand hold out a black gun and aimed its round barrel at his forehead, just an inch from it.

"Listen!" Reborn said in his calm tone, but 27 didn't fail to note the danger lurking in it. "Whatever you're playing, cut it out. I don't know why and how the hell you know something that you shouldn't know. But remember, you'd better believe that I'm going to make your life a living hell if you so much as cross the line here. Don't ever think for a second that you can escape unscathed."

"You're being very vague, you know it? What's the line you're talking about? And is this what they show hospitality here? By choking their guest?" Tsuna was proud that his voice didn't even falter. His muscles were tensed, but not from fear; it was from the anticipation that would spring into action if necessary.

If Reborn thought he could intimidate Tsuna with the stare of Doom, he was dead wrong. His other self had taught Tsuna better than that.

There was a moment of taut silence as the brunet defiantly clenched his jaw, staring back at the figure looming above him.

So he didn't miss a flash of astonishment across these black eyes, or the quirk of his mouth afterward that morphed into a playful smirk in a second.

"Let go of me!"

"You should show more respect to your elder, kid. Say 'please.' Where are your manners?" Reborn clicked his tongue. He loosened his hold though.

"That's rich, coming from the one who is choking somebody and making a death threat."

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you know exactly what I mean."

His words tinged with such unfathomable amusement that Tsuna almost thought he'd heard it wrong. With that, Reborn suddenly released his grip.

Still in his daze at the sudden change of Reborn's demeanor, Tsuna just managed to sit up on the floor, coughing and speechless.  _What the heck?_  He thought not so eloquently, but what came out his mouth was, "What's this for?" when he noticed the hitman had been placed a scarf (Seriously, where did it come from?) around his neck, and was halfway of tightening it into a knot.

It was extremely alarming how he let his guard down around Reborn. Tsuna grimaced.

"You're going to need it," said Reborn softly. His fingertips moved up to Tsuna's cheeks and brushed lightly against them in a tender gesture. Tsuna held his breath. He had a feeling he'd passed some kind of test without even acknowledging it in the first place.

The hitman slowly stood up, dusting off the non-existed dust on his cuff. He gave Tsuna a crooked smile, "And about your previous question. No. Just my way to make sure I have your full attention, kid."

And then he left, leaving a confused Tsuna as the brunet raised his hand up to touch the silk fabric underneath his chin.

He's always such a drama queen, Tsuna thought deliberately . This time, he did roll his eyes.

* * *

.

.

.

Tsuna took a look at where he was stabbed in front of the mirror at bathroom. No patch up. No stitches. Nothing. The only evidence of the incident yesterday, the wounds mouth, had in fact already closed and would fade in a couple of days.

It had to be the work of Sun Flame. And the only person he could think to have done it… well, it seemed that he owed a certain hitman some words of gratitude.

The grateful feeling, however, was squashed down violently the moment he untied the scarf.

Reborn's force had left marks, though vague, on his skin, because he was being a bastard as he always was.

Tsuna looked at the his reflection in the mirror, fully understanding the meaning of what Reborn had said now. He silently wound the scarf back around his neck.

_Bastard, really._

* * *

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.

.

He heard the voice of his mother calling out to him even before her presence could be seen from the entrance door.

It took him a while to respond properly, and more so to convince her that he was more than okay and yes, he'd fallen on a stairway at the park. God knew why the ground had been so slippery under his feet. And no, he had no concussion, his memories were still fully intact. He could still name the food they'd had for breakfast, lunch or whatever she wanted him to prove.

He almost gave out a sigh of relief when his mother nodded in satisfaction, having looked over him from head to toe and spotted nothing unusual.

Little did he know what trouble waited for him afterward.

It was the moment his mother held up a hand to show his cell phone that Tsuna's weak smile froze. And while Nanas smile was so bright and gentle, it sent chills down his spine nonetheless. Tsuna unconsciously backed away a step, suddenly feeling like a cornered prey.

"I believe I told you to keep your phone with you just a day ago, Tsuna. And guess what I found on the table next to your bed yesterday? Would you be so kind as to explain to me why?"

Tsuna breathed in deeply, bracing himself for the half an hour of scolding about how one should always keep in contact with people.

And it wasn't even afternoon yet.

* * *

.

.

.

Tsuna's face was still a little pale from his mother's scolding as he descended to the main Hall, a black skinny scarf wrapped around his neck.

The Hall was eerily quiet, apart from the light steps of some maids and manservants scattered around doing their cleaning or errand jobs. Tsuna noticed that while they seemed to be absorbed in their work, sometimes they secretly glanced at one particular direction. Following their gazes, he walked through the grand gate which led to the yard outside, and was startled to see Hayato standing and arguing animatedly with somebody else.

His eyes automatically locked on the silver haired boy and traced up and down the white bandages that visibly showed on his arms and could be glimpsed underneath the black shirt he was wearing. Tsuna frowned thoughtfully. Clearly, the teen hadn't had the same treatment as him.

As if sensing his scrutiny, Hayato looked up for a moment and met his gaze. His angry demeanor quickly morphed into a surprised one, reminiscent of a wide-eyed cat being caught red-handed after making a mess.

Tsuna couldn't help but wave his hand to him, a smile already forming in his lips. "Hey, H...Gokudera!"

The brunet made a beeline for him. The nearer he drew, the more Tsuna saw how tired Hayato looked. "Are you alright? Did you sleep well?" Tsuna asked, unable to keep his concern within him. He'd known the answer already though, from the profound bags under the teen's eyes and the disturbing state of wrinkles of Hayato's clothes. It seemed like he had gone to bed without changing, and awoken likewise.

The silvered haired teen frowned at him, and averted his gaze to the other side. "It's none of your business," he grunted. His voice lacked any of the usual biting tone like though, and a shade of red slowly crept up his neck.

"I'm just worried about you," Tsuna said softly, shaking his head, "I..."

"Wait the second. You two know each other?" A voice chimed in, cutting in what Tsuna was about to say.

Tsuna blinked a few time, realizing for the first time that there was another audience here. "What are you doing here Narumi? When did you arrive?"

"...I've been here since the beginning!" Narumi snapped. "And you didn't answer my question,  _brother_."

"He's my friend, of course I know him." Tsuna casually shrugged, not feeling guilty at all that he'd totally ignored Narumi the whole time. In his mind, Hayato's health was far more important than petty pleasantries with a stranger. Even if it was a biological stranger.

He hadn't however expected to hear the collective gasps as those words came out of his mouth.

"Well, if it isn't a surprise..." Came a bored tone from the one standing next to Narumi. She stepped forward and took off the hat.

Raven hair fell down onto her blade shoulders in an instant, only to be swayed aside when she shook her head gently. Black eyes locked on Tsuna's briefly, and Tsuna unconsciously took a deep breath.

 _Adelheid_.

He somehow had a strange feeling that he would see a glimpse of a certain red-head popping up in any second. There was none.

Raising an eyebrow, Adelheid watched the astonishment plaster over Tsuna's face. She scrunched her nose a little, "Hmm, he didn't look like what you told me before, Narumi. He looked like an idiot."

If the presence of Hayato had been an unexpected but pleasing surprise, then surely Adelheid was such a stunt that made Tsuna speechless. However, the true bomb dropped in the following sentences as the girl introduced herself:

"I'm Adelheid, Narumi's Cloud Guardian. Nice to meet you." She extended a hand to him.

Tsuna shook it purely out of instinct. His brain seemed to shut down at the moment. "...Cloud Guardian?"

"Adelheid, he doesn't know about our... stuff." Narumi coughed, shooting a warning look at the black haired girl.

"Oh." Adelheid frowned. "I see. My mistake."

"Yeah. I don't think he understands though. Feel free about it."

Hello, he's right here and doesn't like to be talked about like he's air.

Tsuna looked up to the sky. It was a beautiful afternoon. He counted to three and took a long, deep breath, squishing down the urge to spit out some sarcastic responses. I'm a grown-up, they're just teenagers, he told himself in annoyance.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi." He said simply. His composure betrayed nothing but utter politeness. He thought he'd somewhat come to terms with this crazy parallel world.

Being an adolescent again; having a brother who hated him; getting kidnapped and stabbed; and don't forget to mention the whole scenario of almost being throttle to death by the hand of his not-tutor... seemed to be not enough. Of course Life must throw some nasty curve balls at him when he least expected, since his current life seemed to be so  _boring_  and  _peaceful_.

Like adding a Simon's Guardian in the place of the next in line as a Vongola Guardian.

His Decimos thinking section was waking up in full force as many possibilities flashed across his mind of why and what effects it would bring upon on Vongola. And it started to give him a huge headache already just considering it.

"I hope this has nothing to do with Enma's plan of revenge." Tsuna mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What are you saying?" Adelheid said sharply somewhere besides him.

"Nothing." Tsuna replied automatically.

"No, I just hear something strange. Can you repeat it?"

"Nothing."

"It's not—"

"He's already said it was nothing. Are you deaf or not?" Hayato, who had been a silent bystander until now, spoke up. It was clear that he didn't like the black-haired girl at all, his whole stance was defensive and tensed.

"Nobody asks for your opinion. You useless bomber!" Adelheid seethed right back, not missing a beat.

And, just like that, they quickly lost themselves in a banter that contained a lot of name-calling and sarcastic retorts in front of Tsuna's eyes, and it soon leapt miles away from the original topic. It had to be a routine since Narumi looked bored watching them, his hands folded across his chest.

Noticing Tsuna's confused look, the blond said bluntly. "So, you two are friends, huh?"

Tsuna didn't feel the need to repeat himself, so he choose to observe the heated argument about whose fault a failed mission had been, or something along those lines.

Adelheid in this world was certainly not the epitome of calm like he recalled. Then again, who was he to judge her? He was, after all, not the real 'Tsuna.'

Even though it was Hayato who started the fight first, Tsuna couldn't help but bristle with protective feeling and want to shout at Adelheid for pointing her finger accusingly at the silver haired teen. He hardly heard what his brother was talking to him. "What?" He frowned, finally titling his head to Narumi's side.

"...He's mine. I own him." A possessive gleam shone in Narumi's eyes before he turned away, barking at Adelheid and Hayato. "Hey, it's enough of you two. Stop it!"

Tsuna watched in bewilderment that they actually did as told. They still glared daggers at each other though, seeming ready to tear down each other throats if necessary.

"Hayato, I remember telling you not to come here without a summons. Am I wrong? What're you doing here?" Narumi began, his eyes flashing with reproach and outright authority.

Tsuna widened his eyes as Hayato dipped his head low, hiding his expression.

"Answer me!"

Hayato flinched visibly. He said nothing though. Just stood there like a statue.

The tension in the air was palpable.

"He was here because I've asked him to show me around the town." Tsuna calmly cut in. God knew every part of his being was vivid with fury, and it took his control a great deal to not beat somebody up right here, right now. Someone with blond hair, preferably. He advanced to stand right before the Bomber, giving his back to his brother. "I'm sorry that I made you wait so long, Hayato. I'm sorry."

There was something vulnerable when Hayato looked up that made Tsuna reached out his hand and grabbed a hold of Hayato's wrist. The silver haired teen immediately tried to wring it out of his grip but the brunet didn't let go. He said, slowly and softly, "Should we go now, Hayato?"

Hayato looked at Tsuna like it was the first time they met, then dropped his gaze to the skin where they contacted.

He nodded eventually.

* * *

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.

Hayato immediately writhed out of his hold as soon as they got out of the mansion. The warmth left Tsuna's hand and the brunet stopped, smiling weakly, "We should stop meeting like this. Like, really."

Hayato turned his head away, scowling, but remaining silent. The whole thing, "It's none of your business," went unsaid.

Tsuna sighed.

It was getting nowhere. He had to go back to Japan tomorrow and nothing here seemed to make sense. The first thing was the weird attitude of Nono, then Reborn, and even Hayato now. It was frustrating and confusing, and he just didn't have enough time left to just bloody think, let alone find and solve exactly what had gone wrong.

Tsuna ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling unnerved. The bizarre scuffle with his brother earlier had only made his mood worse. What the hell did the blond mean when he said Hayato was his? The teen was not a property, he belonged to no one!

 _I can do it,_  Tsuna thought furiously, his whole body tightened.  _I can keep my anger at bay. It's unbecoming if I come back and hit my brother, even though he deserves it._

Inhaled. Exhaled. By the time Tsuna fully gained the control of himself again, he was surprised to find that the silver-haired teen still stood nearby, and was currently staring at him with a thoughtful expression. When his emerald eyes caught his, however, the teen quickly spun around and stalked off to the opposite direction.

"Hey, wait!" Tsuna called out desperately, yet he stood firmly on his spot.

He waited for Hayato to turn his head back and … and what? He didn't know. He just wanted to… he thought he'd very much appreciate having company right now. "Do you know a decent souvenir shop around here? I want to buy a gift for my friend, but I didn't find anything interesting."

Those words came out smoothly enough, and it was half of the truth. Anyway, now he thought about it, it was an excellent idea. He'd already prepared presents for Kyoko and Hana, which were an Altamira scarf and a velten scarf that his mother had recommended, and a pair of running shoes for Takeshi. Since he didn't need to worry about his plane ticket and other trip expenses, plus it might be the first and the last chance he'd be here, Tsuna felt generous enough to spend his savings money. But when it came to the Skylark, he found himself running out of options. The teen simply didn't need, or want anything at all. Except a new pair of tonfas, as he'd mentioned, which were illegal to obtain. And sadly, Tsuna doubted anyone who was in their right mind could give him access to black market.

So he looked somewhat hopefully at Hayato, who looked like he was torn between walking away or staying and tolerating Tsuna's presence.

"Follow me." The teen mumbled finally, but Tsuna heard it nevertheless.

Something inside him turned loose hearing it.

* * *

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.

.

Hayato guided him from the crowed street, down and deeper into the central core of the towns web of roads. They crossed deserted roads and strode along small alleys. Some looked exactly the same, while some triggered Tsuna's memories as shortcuts that led to many illegal places. And at some point, Hayato had to nudge at him on his elbow when Tsuna stared way too long at array of delicate, gummy-looking sweets displayed in showcase of a bakery. In his defense, the wonderful aroma on the street was just irresistible.

Finally, they stopped at a store named "Val's Antique", which had a sign that read " **CLOSED** " in bold fonts hung on the doorknob. A melody of ringing bells accompanied their steps when Hayato walked through the door, completely ignoring the sign. Tsuna followed him wordlessly.

Sunlight spilled in through the window panes, illuminating a crowded room filled with antiques on the shelves, along with many weird-looking things on the floor. There was a middle aged man behind a counter on the corner of the room, he was holding a brown kaleidoscope high up in the air, examining it with an expression like it was offending him. Without looking up, he said with a stern tone. "I'm sorry, but the store's closed today. Please come back tomorrow. Don't forget to close the door. Thank you!"

"It's no wonder why your business is always in red." Hayato said.

The frown on the man's face disappeared when he heard Hayato's voice, replacing with a big grin instead. "Hey, Gokudera. Long time no see. How have you been lately?" He beamed at them, or more precisely, in Hayato's direction, and put the kaleidoscope down on the table.

Hayato just grunted in response, but Tsuna noticed some of the tension had left his shoulders.

"Hey, old man. Where's my thing?"

"Straight to the business, huh? Lucky for you, it's ready to deliver…" The man's voice trailed off as he registered the presence of Tsuna for the first time, his frown coming back.

He spoke to him with a polite but cold voice. "I'm sorry, boy, but can you come back tomorrow? We're busy now.""Oh, don't mind him." Hayato waved his hand dismissively, like he could wipe off the suspicious look the shop owner was giving Tsuna, "He's with me."

The shop owner widened his eyes at the sudden proclamation of Hayato. His whole expression turned into confusion, then blankness, and finally, glee. When he opened his mouth again, it was with a teasing smile. "Oh, I see you've taken my advice. I just didn't expect a bloke though…But well, nice taste! He's pretty!"

It was Hayato's turn to be confused, but his face promptly turned red after a second. He spluttered indignantly, "It's not what you're thinking. Pervert!"

"Hey, it's harsh. I'm just worried for your health, Hayato. You're at the age of having extended energy to-"

"Shut up!"

"Your face looks funny now. Do you know it?"

There was no doubt a joke in there somewhere, but before Tsuna could voice out his curiosity, they had already engaged in an another conversation in hushed whispers, completely forgetting his presence. Some words like "explodes" and "powder" reached Tsuna's ears with such an alarming frequency that the brunet decided it was better for him to start searching for 18's gift now.

He turned around and looked over shelves after shelves. There were many interesting things around, along with many other unknown things. But none of it captured his attention long.

It was on a shelves in the far corner of the room that he came across something that sparked his interest. He carefully touched the plain cover of a notebook worn with time, wondering for a brief moment what had made him drawn to it in the first place. A strange feeling of nostalgia rose inside his chest.

He opened it.

_**If anybody comes across this notebook, it is highly likely that I, the owner, am already gone.** _

_**I sincerely hope it's you, -. This notebook contains a lot of stuff that perhaps is not safe to -, and technically, lot of my thoughts too. I'm afraid I've invested so much of my emotion in it so that I simply cannot gather enough courage to just destroy it.** _

_**So, with all due respect, please burn this thing to ash for me, -.** _

_**On the other hand, if you are a stranger, and still have enough patience not to put this down. Then very well...** _

_**Welcome to the story of my dying life.** _

The handwriting was shaking, as though the owner had tremors in his hand while writing. Tsuna traced his fingertip along these black spots concealing the name mentioned. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd stumbled upon this notebook, but when? The handwriting was familiar enough too...

He tugged at the edge of the page, only to find it was impossible to flip it over to the adjacent one. Or any following ones. It was like somebody had put glue on the notebook, making the pages stuck tightly together, except for the first page.

Slightly frustrated, Tsuna huffed out a breath.

He didn't dwell on his annoyance long though. The urge to find a gift for Kyoya won out in the end. Holding the notebook on his left hand, he continued his quest. The room was large indeed. The vast amount of things stuffed into one room was overwhelming, and was already beginning to hurt Tsuna's eyes. He studied every nook and cranny of his surroundings, with not as much enthusiasm as before.

Suddenly, his eyes caught a glimpse of a silver figurine of a bird, with small wings and round body. Tsuna had to double-check what he saw to be convinced that yes, somebody had made a figurine based on the shape of Hibird – Kyoyas beloved pet.

Without thinking, he grabbed it and hastily went back to the counter. The quiet conversation between the shop owner and Hayato died out as soon as he approached. Tsuna hardly noticed the subtle change in the air, completely devoted himself on his burning curiosity.

"Where did this figurine come from?" He asked, eyes shining.

"What? Oh. This." The older man blinked, then said with a haughty tone. "It's actually a goods somebody ordered a long time ago, but never came to take it. And by somebody, I mean a creepy, old man surrounded by yellow birds. I wasn't even surprised that his name is Birds. I suppose you don't know that odd man?"

"…No." Tsuna said carefully.

"Good for you. That bastard ruined my Indian carpet on his way of running from some mobs before he could pay for the rest of this figurine. Crazy, huh?"

"Eh… Well, so I guess it's not for sale?" Tsuna couldn't conceal the disappointment in his voice.

"Don't worry, it's definitely for sale."

"But you just said…"

"Only if you're anyone else. For you, it's free." The shop owner replied, winking at him and Hayato. "Considering it as my congratulation gift for both of you."

"This is ridiculous!" Hayato snapped. "I'm out!" and he stomped out of the store.

There was a moment of confusion for Tsuna, and then he realized the reason behind the strange change in their attitudes. As it hit his mind, he almost dropped the figurine, his whole face flushing instantly. He couldn't believe he was so oblivious about that … _implication_. But then again, he'd never thought about Hayato in that way, he supposed. The idea of him and the silver haired boy as being together was…weird, and certainly had never occurred across his mind.

Clearing his throat, he said uneasily, "That.. it's not what you're thinking… We're not…"

"Guess I push him too much." The older man just shrugged his shoulder.

Realization dawned Tsuna's face once again as he looked at the amused smile. "You're teasing him."

"Yeah. It's always fun to see him all red face like that. Do you think so?"

Tsuna darted his eyes to the silhouette lingering on the outside door. A crease made its way to his brows when he looked back, putting the figurine and the notebook down on

the counter. "It's a pleasure to meet you and all but please, just check for these. I want to buy them. How much do they cost?"

"Hmm, not a prankster type, are you? And I've told you, free for anything you pick."

"Thank you very much for your generous offer. But I'm sorry. I just can't take it."

"Stubborn kid. What if I tell you the reason is the boy over there?" The shop owner flicked his hand towards Hayato's direction. "You're his friend, right?"

"Yes." Tsuna said, without missing a beat.

"For all I know, that boy has no friends. He prefers his solitude."

"…"

"And he certainly hasn't brought anyone to this place. No one. You're the first, pretty." The older man slowly stood up. "I believe we haven't properly introduced. I'm Gokudera's uncle, Rico. Nice to meet you."

"I've never heard he has an uncle." Tsuna blurted out, wide-eyed. He could see the change in the older man, not only in the stiff posture, but also in his solemn demeanor.

"I'm from his mother's side." Rico said as if it explained everything. "This may sound sappy, but I guess I have to make it clear. Despite of his tough look and foul mouth, deep down inside he's just made of glass. That boy, he's the kind of person who will do anything for anyone that treats him with kindness. You're the first one he's ever brought here. It must be something. He must like you a lot. Just… don't break him, okay?"

"I won't." Tsuna promised, hardly sparing a moment to think over his words.

"Good." The man nodded gravely. "Because I'll personally hunt after your blood if not."

"I disagree with you for one thing though."

"Oh?"

"He looks tough, and he's tough, too. Tougher than anyone. He just doesn't know how to show it. Not yet."

* * *

,

.

.

As the distant sun sank slowly down the endless horizon, Tsuna and Hayato were sitting by large glass window at a coffee shop, chatting with each other.

Tsuna took a sip of his drink. It was lavish creamy mocha blended with chocolate sprinkles and flavored syrups. He let out a content hum at the taste while listening

to Hayato's story with great interest.

"So, you're really Narumi's brother..."

"Yeah, you can say so."

"You two don't look alike very much. Except for your eyes… They have the same color."

Tsuna only gave out a dried laugh.

"I first met him when I was thirteen. He was in a bunny costume and running from a pack of hounds. It would be a ridiculous look on everybody else, but not him. He somehow managed to pull it off well enough …Anyway, he was chased to a corner, all bare hands and unarmed… It was the moment I saw it." Hayato continued, a distant gaze on his face as he looked up at the sky. "I saw it. The orange flame that burst out of his forehead that day. It was... beautiful. I'd never seen anything like that. Not a Sky flame like that."

"For someone as smart as him, he didn't know much about the underground world. So I decided to help him… Everything was nice… Until the day that fucking girl appeared…"

Hayato's words trailed off, bitterly and angrily.

His hands trembled as he spit out words like they were poison. "He believes her than me."

"Are you alright?" Tsuna asked softly, concerned.

It seemed to provoke Hayato's unsettle feelings further, since the silver-haired teen turned his intense glare to him.

"You!" He snarled, and if Tsuna didn't know better, he'd think the teen was going to murder him in the daylight.

"Me?"

"I don't understand you. I don't understand how you can possibly find it in your heart to care about … about what I do." Hayato took a long breath and rasped slowly, "I don't understand why you would ever save me, when we're just strangers."

Tsuna swallowed, unmanned by the open look in Hayato's eyes. He could go silent, let it lie. But there was something vulnerable, a question being asked that he could not ignore. And those words, it stung hard. Strangers? Right, how possible he could forget that.

"Isn't that obvious?" He answered tentatively, feeling like he was treating a wounded animal. The slightest wrong move could have dire consequences.

The vulnerable thing once again came back in Hayato's expression, and the teen looked down to his cup, all kicked-puppy and dejected. Tsuna had to dig his nails to the skin of his palms so as not to reach over and hug the self-consciousness out of Hayato's system, or at least squeeze him on his shoulder.

Somehow, he had a distant feeling that it wouldn't go well for the teen. The poor teen might have a nervous breakdown for the sudden assault like that.

Eventually he said, "Because you worth it."

The expression he received was almost comical. Hayato's head snapped up and he was staring at Tsuna, utterly skeptical.

But Tsuna knew what he was talking about, recalling the vivid image of the reliable, smart man the teen before him would become someday. A calm storm that swept away any rising threat.

"I know what it's like to feel useless, to feel not worthy enough," He continued, his hand pressing flat against the cool surface of the table. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give yourself a chance to fix that. Or let somebody else help you…However, there is one thing I want you to know."

He leaned toward Hayato's seat, and pulled the words out of his heart. "I'm not good enough to find it in myself to help other strangers to that extent like I did to you. I'm not that good person, Gokudera. I save you because I want to. I save you because I like you. And I want to be your friend."

.

.

.

It was a long, long time after they'd left the café, when they were halfway on their way back to the mansion that Hayato finally spoke, with an utterly stoic face, "Whenever you want, just give me a name. Whoever. I'll finish them off for you."

It was a very good thing that Tsuna currently wasn't drinking or eating anything. His mouth twitched upwards.

"Thank you." He said politely, managing to hide his amused laugh behind his choked cough. He couldn't help it. It was so Hayato that it made a deep, inexpressible joy filled inside him. "But not at the moment, I'm afraid. How about exchanging our phone numbers first? So we can discuss this in the near future."

* * *

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**Extra:**

**Behind the curtain (1)**

"I assume that your talk with your wife didn't go well..."

"It's an understatement." Iemitsu sighed loudly, a tired crease forming between his brows. "I just can't get why she suddenly got so stubborn. I thought...well, I thought she'd be happy to move here."

"Maybe you don't understand her like you thought. And your sons, too." Reborn's voice sounded bored. Unfazed by the withering glare Iemitsu shooting at him, the infamous hitman put down a black envelope on the desk before Nono. "Everything you need is there, Timeo."

Nono straightened his face in an instant. He tore open the sealed envelope, pulled out folded documents and immersed himself in looking them over for a few minutes. Finally, he handed it to Iemitsu. "You might want to see it."

Iemitsu looked at him confusedly, but took the documents nevertheless. His eyes darted to the first one, and he couldn't help but ask incredulously, having trouble to believe the news. "You set up an investigation against my son? Without notifying me?"

"Please, keep reading," said the Ninth Boss softly yet firmly.

Iemitsu's thunderous expression indicated he wouldn't let this topic slide easily, but he resumed reading silently.

The more pages he shuffled, however, the paler his face got. By the time he placed the documents on the desk, a haggard look dominated his features. His hand was

shaking a bit when he said, "This…This is impossible."

"It's the truth, I'm afraid."

"I… Narumi isn't stupid! He won't do reckless things like this!"

He simply couldn't believe it. His eyes unconsciously locked on the picture of his youngest son talking with some strangers that attached to the document.

"That is the reason why I left you out of this investigation, Iemitsu." Nono sighed. "Don't get me wrong. You work efficiently in everything, but when it comes to your own son, you tend to let your emotions make you blind."

"I don't." Iemitsu clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply. "This whole situation is absurd."

"What makes you so insistent on protesting, when even you hardly believe in your words?" Reborn said, the fedora hiding his expression.

"Hatching a scheme that involves Estraneo Famiglia– a crime family and drug trafficking? Surely Narumi knew better than to nose around them."

"He clearly shows his distaste for drug trafficking, yes. But not until after he realized he'd already put a foot on it. And at the time, the damage had already been done. Thanks to his title as the only candidate of the next Vongola Boss, he'd managed to arrange some meetings with other powerful families, or more precisely, the next generation – a bunch of soon-to-be Bosses as young as him- and spread the plague without even noticing. Had it not been for the fiasco yesterday, things wouldn't have been revealed this fast."

"Somebody set him up for this."

"We're working on it." It was Nono who answered. "It's just the matter of time before we catch the real culprit of this conspiracy. But it's not the only reason I called you on this meeting, Iemitsu."

"I understand, I'll talk with Narumi and keep my eyes on him closely from now on."

"It's not simple like that." The Ninth Boss pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired. "Did it cross your mind why Narumi didn't turn to us for help?"

Iemitsu frowned, a sinking feeling in his chest. "What do you mean?"

"Narumi must have been warned of the fact that he was deep in trouble. Huge trouble. But why didn't he seek for our help when things was getting out of his hand? Even when things went south, he chose to hide it from us and tried to solve it by himself, which failed spectacularly, by the way. The entire situation practically shows how much faith he has in us."

"What if he thought he could deal with it on his own?"

"Then he's arrogant and has delusions of grandeur. Either way, it is not a good sign… You know, I still remember the day I met Narumi here for the first time. He's a bright boy.

Smart and innocent… I have faith that he'll become a brilliant Boss someday… But now, I can't help but feel uncertain about that."

A shudder crept its way down Iemitsu's spine as he heard Nono's gently voice. He had a feeling he wouldn't like what would happen next.

"I have an impression that Narumi acted the way he did because he was under the influence of some negative factors… Therefore, it's wise that while we're clearing the aftermath, Narumi's secluded from all bad environment. Safe from anything bad for him."

The Ninth Boss' eyes then locked on Iemitsu's. There was a hint of finality in his sentence:

"I think his hometown, Namimori, is a perfect place for him to rest and think."

 


	13. School in chaos

**Beta'd by Pure Red Crane**

* * *

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..

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The flight was tiring. It was hard to be on a plane until late in the evening. But they were glad to be home.

After helping his mother take the luggage to their house and showing Narumi the guest room to sleep, Tsuna was weary to the bone when he could finally collapse into his own comfortable bed. And for the first time in a while, he fell asleep peacefully without so much as a dream.

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The next morning, Tsuna found himself staring at an unoccupied chair across from him over their dining table. He asked his mother, "Where's Narumi, Mom? Is he still sleeping?"

A quick glance at the clock overhead showed that the blond would be late for school if that was the case.

"Oh, he left the house earlier, about half past five with his tutor."

"…Tutor?"

"Yes. I think you've met him before, Tsuna. He's the handsome man who brought you back from the park before."

"Oh.  _Him_."

"I can't believe there's still a passionate teacher like him. He flew all the way from Italy to continue teaching Narumi. I heard that they headed out this morning to do some sort of training. Sounds nice, doesn't it?"

Tsuna blinked at his mother's excitement. He seriously doubted that the definition of 'training' in his mother's mind was compatible with that in Reborn's. It was very likely that the blond had gone through several kinds of hell in the name of 'training' by now.

Then again, that wasn't to say he didn't gain a little pleasure knowing about it. Don't get him wrong. After myriad of times suffering from Reborn's teaching methods (read: tortures), it was really refreshing to find that he wasn't the one at the end of the rope or gun, but rather a bystander for once.

Well, guess Primo was right. Some of Reborn's negative traits really had rubbed off on him after all.

* * *

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.

.

He ran into Kyoko when he turned around a corner to the school staircase. Together, they headed to their new classroom on the second floor. The brunette happily filled him in with the general information about their classes and homework, as well as some juicy gossip about the freshmen this year.

Hana was already sitting in her seat by the time they entered the classroom. All of them were classmates this year, and though Tsuna would never say it aloud, he found it pleasant to have familiar faces throughout his study year.

The first class, Biology, was somewhat tedious and mind-numbing. That monotone voice was so boring and unengaging. The same went for the second and third classes. By the time the fourth class –English- began, Tsuna barely looked up from his book. His shoulder slumped into his seat by the window.

It was the collective gasps in the air that wavered his attention.

" _OhmyGod_ , he's  _hot_!"

"Who is he?"

"What's he doing here?"

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at the excited murmurs from the girls and much less thrilled groans from the boys, his gaze drifting to the direction of the chalk board to see what caused the sudden fuss.

He nearly fell off his chair, finally seeing who was standing there.

"Chaos." A raven- haired man dressed in black suit greeted in his low baritone, causing another tide of squeals and blushes from the girls. The man's trademark fedora hat was nowhere to be seen, but Tsuna didn't need it to pinpoint his true identity.

 _I don't know him. I don't know him._   _This is not real._  Tsuna chanted in his mind, immediately ducking his face behind his book. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes a few times as well, just for good measure, before raising his head up again.

The hallucination of Reborn didn't dissolve or fade away.  _Damn_.

"As you may know, Mr. Hanaka has been calling on sick lately. And unfortunately, his health doesn't allow him to continue teaching. So, from now on, I'm your English teacher. You can call me Reborn." The black haired man wrote his name on the black chalkboard. "Any questions? I prefer no private ones, if you may."

Half of the hands that shot up in the air earlier were put down in an instant, but there was still a handful of them, mostly belonging to the girls, who for some reason all had their eyes glittering with a sharp light that reminded Tsuna of a hungry wolf spotting a tasty deer. The problem with that metaphor though, was that Reborn was no deer. He was a dragon, a dragon that all wolves should actually be wary of.

"Are you a half-blood, Reborn-sensei?"

"No, I'm 100% Italian."

"You speak Japanese so well. Have you lived here before?"

"No. This is my first time coming here."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"That's classified."

And the question list went on and on. Tsuna was perplexed by the patience Reborn was showing to the students. Normally, the hitman hated those pleasantries of conservation. But he guessed the man would be quite charming if he applied himself.

Maybe the situation wasn't as bad as he had assumed it would be.

…

Ten minutes later, Tsuna found himself regretting his presumption.

"Whoever gets this question right, I'll introduce you to a good employment opening up in the mafia," said Reborn, having finished writing the last line of a Math assignment on the chalkboard. It seemed to be a NASA-level question and it was giving Tsuna headache just seeing it. What happened to the English lesson?

 _He's still trying to find Mafiaso candidates from my class?_  Tsuna pressed his hand on his face, groaning.

"What the heck?" a student asked incredulously. Several grunted responses followed his suit.

"Does he  _really_  expect us to solve  _this_?"

"Pfft. This man is a nutcase," a boy blurted out. "Hey, I don't care who you are. I'm not gonna put up with someone like you and your bulls-"

Reborn threw a white piece of chalk at the student with such extreme force that the chalk exploded into powder. A loud 'thud' could clearly be heard when the student's head collapsed onto the table, never able to finish his pervious exclamation.

"Watch your tongue in my class. I won't tolerate that kind of tone," the black haired man said smoothly and calmly, like it was normal for him to reflect that kind of violent act every day.

There was a momentary silence filled with bewilderment and terror, lots of terror.

 _I know this man is insane, but you shouldn't say it aloud_. Tsuna thought, feeling pity towards the unconscious boy.  _There are some truths best left unspoken._

The nightmare, however, didn't stop. It had only just begun.

For the next fifteen minutes, most of the male population of class 2-E had forcibly shared the same ticket to La-la land. When the student next to his seat collapsed loudly on the table, Tsuna gulped silently. Never before in his life had he fervently hoped for a smart brain like Hayato's to suddenly appear.

Clearing his throat, he tried for a shot in the dark. "Uhm, 59?"

He barely dodged the high-speed, incoming white chalk that dashed towards him.

_Seems like that was the wrong answer. Oops._

"Wrong." The man said. "Good move, by the way."

"Thanks." Tsuna replied dryly.

He then had a high time fending for his life as at least five other high-speed chalks were aimed for his head with terrifying accuracy. He was so lucky that his Math text book was three inches thick so he could use it for blocking most of the assault.

Sweat beads started gathering on Tsuna's forehead as he crouched down to the floor in order to hide behind his desk. By now, his classmates were practically gasping at him, their gaze flickering back and forth between him and Reborn.

A quick peek in the hitman's direction showed Tsuna that, yes, Reborn was smirking with mischief, clearly taking delight in every bit of his struggle.

Tsuna eyed his unconscious classmates with envy. If only he could find a way to pass out as easily as they did, but without pain…

 _"Ringgggg…."_  The bell screeched, loud and clear, signaling the end of the class.

To Tsuna, it was a sound from heaven.

"Well, I guess this is all for today," Reborn eventually said. He had the audacity to look disappointed. "This is the first day, so there's no homework. And Tsunayoshi…" The hitman paused, no doubt for some dramatic purposes.

"Tsunayoshi, wait for me outside the old Science Lab door. Don't miss it."

_Or else._

Tsuna could get the baleful message underlying that velvet voice perfectly.

* * *

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.

.

"You don't need to wait with me, Kyoko-chan. You too, Hana-san." Tsuna said to two girls by his side. They were currently standing outside the Science lab door in the left wing of the school building, waiting for Reborn. Classes had ended fifteen minutes ago.

"It's okay, Tsuna-kun. It's not like there is a Student Council meeting today," Kyoko said. "But Hana-chan, don't you have club activities in your archery club? Is it okay to skip practice? "

"Don't mind me." Hana frowned a little, a suspicious shade of red tinting her cheeks. "I just want to confirm something."

Tsuna would voice out his curiosity to the black haired girl if he didn't happen to spot two familiar figures approaching them in the distance. As if sensing his gaze, one of them raised a hand and waved enthusiastically at him.

"Hey, Tsuna!" The black haired teen all but beamed. Next to him, a tall student with a mature look nodded his head, acknowledging Tsuna's presence.

"Takeshi! Kusakabe!" Tsuna exclaimed, a smile already tugging on his lips.

As they drew closer, Tsuna noticed that each of them was holding a black jacket in their hands. And if he wasn't mistaken, which he certainly wasn't, the red armband on each jacket was the crest of the Disciplinary Committee.

"What's that for?" Tsuna asked warily.

"It's for you, Tsuna-san." Kusakabe dipped his head down for a shallow bow, knowing firsthand that Tsuna wouldn't stand well with a traditional full ninety degree bow. His hands extended towards the brunet in a gesture to hand the clothes over to him. "This is the tailored uniform made for you."

"W-What?" Tsuna spluttered not so eloquently. But he eventually took the piece of clothes, knowing Kusakabe wouldn't yield until Tsuna did so.

"I'm recruiting you for a DC member position. That's all."

"He seems confused. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Takeshi asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yes. And don't forget our bargain, Yamamoto."

"Yeah…if Tsuna's in, count me in." Takeshi grinned good-naturedly.

"What? ...Woah, wait a second here. I thought you were in the baseball club, Takeshi? Is it alright for you to join two clubs?" Tsuna said confusedly, glad to have something to redirect the topic. He remembered the teen had mentioned something about being given an athletic scholarship to enter this school.

"I think so too." Takeshi replied. "But Kusakabe-san said it didn't matter."

"I remember it's strictly prohibited by the headmaster himself." Hana cut in.

"The rule was revised yesterday. Hibari-san made sure of it. Of course, all the cases must get permission from the DC first." Something in Kusakabe's tone told Tsuna there was a story behind it. And if Kyouya was involved, it definitely wasn't a peaceful story.

"I'm sorry, but if Tsuna's taking part in any club, it's the Student Council." Kyoko's voice suddenly chimed in, and the brunette took no time to make a grip on Tsuna's arm. "I've ask you to join since last year. Right, Tsuna?"

Even though her tone was sweet, Tsuna couldn't help but think he would be screwed if he ever said no.

"Eh-"

"Excuse me, but you're…?"

"I'm Kyoko Sasagawa, Tsuna's friend."

"Nice to meet you, Sasagawa-san, but I'm afraid I must disagree with your plan. Kyouya-san, our leader... he doesn't like to  _share_."

_What the hell was that supposed to mean?_

"Then it's a pity, because I asked Tsuna  _first_."

Not for the first time today, Tsuna felt like there was some sort of divine being above that just hated his gut.

On top of that, Hana chose this very moment to give her own input as she gave him a mock thumbs-up. "Wow, I never thought you were so popular with the underclassmen, Sawada!"

Tsuna tried to resist the urge to face palm.

"What's going on here?"

Tsuna cursed under his breath when Reborn appeared at that very moment. The hitman always had a quirk to choose the worst timing possible to make his entrance.

"Reborn-sensei." Surprisingly, Hana was the first one to speak. Her face flushed a dark shade of red.

Reborn only nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes flickering from face to face before landing on Tsuna's. "This is quite a crowd here. I assume you've heard the news and want to join the club, huh? Gossip must really run fast in this school. It seems you're in no needed for handing out the flyers anymore, Tsunayoshi."

"Join the club?" The synchronized question from Kyoko and Kusakabe tinted with alarm and wariness. The grip on Tsuna's arm tightened in an instant. In his peripheral vision, he saw Kusakabe's hand twitch as if he was itching to do the same thing as the brunette, but managed to refrain himself. Perhaps it was because of his masculine pride or good discipline.

To Tsuna, he thought he heard the phrase 'Join the club' enough times today to last a lifetime, but it wasn't what that he focused on at the previous statement.

"Handing out the flyers?" echoed Tsuna dubiously.

Reborn pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Tsuna, who hesitantly read it after giving the hitman a raised brow and a rather skeptical expression.

_**-VERITY RESEARCH PATROL-** _

_You want to seek out the truth that no one dare tell?_

_You want to find the thrill and excitement when pursuing such knowledge?_

_Or do you simply just want to know about everything?_

_**Come and join us! The VRP club!** _

Tsuna was certain his face looked like he had swallowed a bug, a very big bug.

Once upon a time, he might have easily dismissed it as one of many stupid ads that had promised to make him a leader of the generation. But at this point of his life, he really didn't know whether he should be proud or worried about the fact that his mind had automatically translated 'VRP' to 'Vongola Recruitment Program.' Really, what was wrong with his sane mind nowadays?

The urge to press his face into his palms was getting stronger and stronger.

"Sounds cool! But I've never heard of a club name like this before." Takeshi mumbled behind his shoulder, having taken a peek at the paper.

With Kyoko already trapping his arm to his right and Kusakabe hovering nearby to his left, Tsuna might have called his situation an ambush from four directions if Reborn had marched two or three steps forwards.

"Of course, the club was just founded today." Reborn said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It only has three members so far. By the way, I'm its club advisor."

"I don't think I ever agreed to join." Tsuna narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt very annoyed. It was his free will to choose what club he wanted to join, and as far as he was concerned, he didn't say yes to any.

"I don't think it's too much to ask from a man who saved your life before." Reborn said nonchalantly, his brow slightly rising like he dared Tsuna to protest.

But before Tsuna could say another word, the sound of Namimori Anthem song suddenly filled in the air, cutting in the tension that had been building up.

Tsuna averted his gaze to see Kusakabe instantly reach for the phone inside his pocket. The longer the teen listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone, the more clear his expression morphed into a grimace. Finally, Kusakabe muttered 'I understand. Be right there' and hung up the call.

Inclining his head toward him, Kusakabe said in an exasperating tone."I need your help, Tsuna-san."

"What's up?" Tsuna asked.

"There's a riot on the rooftop. There seems to be a girl challenging Kyouya-san to a duel to take over the school."

Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

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**Extra:**

**Behind the curtain (2-end)**

Nana seemed to practically bounce on her heels after hearing that Narumi was coming back with her and Tsuna. The news clearly brought her great joy. Then she went on and gave the blond an affectionate hug, so completely blind by her positive emotion that she gave didn't give a second thought about neither the pained expression on Narumi's face nor the gloomy atmosphere surrounding her husband, who was standing nearby.

Reborn watched them all through a surveillance camera. The image of a miserable Vongola Lion Sea never failed to entertain him; and he took it in with a quiet gleeful snort.

"Interesting. He seems aware of the camera. Never once did he reveal his whole face to it. And now he's completely turned his back on it."

The hitman shifted his gaze to the Ninth Boss, who was sitting on a black chair across from him, then to a certain brunet on the display screen. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he said, "It's either purely coincidence or…"

"Intuition." Nono finished, a hint of wonder in his voice. "He knows where the camera is and avoids it on purpose."

"You sound awfully sure."

"I am."

There was a moment of silence. Finally, the Ninth Boss said. "What do you think of him?"

Despite the vagueness, Reborn knew exactly who Nono was talking about. He replied simply, "A strange kid. But he's no Primo reincarnation."

To Reborn, it was still somewhat ridiculous that Nono had only known about the existence of the boy less than two days ago and now he was already developing an unhealthy obsessive behavior towards him. He could see how bad the effect was on the man's brain, considering the Ninth Boss had mentioned at least a few times that he thought the boy was Primo's reincarnation.

"There's more to him than meets the eye." the hitman continued. "Anyway, if the boy concerns you that much, why don't you just see him off so you have a brief moment to get to him?"

Every time he met the boy, the brunet had managed to take him aback more than once. It was as much frustrating as it was intriguing.

Normally, Reborn would be tempted to steal the boy for a while, to take him apart so he could peek at what secrets were hiding inside that slender frame. Yes, it sounded like a very tempting idea.

But this case was unusual. The boy was unusual.

It wasn't every day that the Young Lion of Vongola lost control of his cool composure to irritation over a mere mention of a name. It wasn't every day that Reborn stumbled upon an enigma that piqued his interest. And it wasn't every day that the Vongola Boss himself acted like a fanboy who finally saw his idol walking in the living daylight for the first time.

"Your tone makes me feel like I'm a pedophile, Reborn." Nono said, his mouth twitching upward. "But I have the impression that my presence won't be welcomed there, especially with Narumi. He's still quite mad with me right now. He won't be happy to see my face."

Reborn had to smother down the upcoming snort under his breath. "You should tell him about your reason to send him away. Clarify things," he said.

"It's complicated." Nono sighed audibly, "And some things are better left unsaid. Besides, this is just one of many reasons why I sent him to Namimori. He's only sixteen. It's one thing that he has to train to be the future Boss, and another thing for his mental health to get too deeply involved with the darkest side of our world. Not yet. The upcoming manhunt and purification, it's for his own good that he won't know about it."

"It's only the matter of time, surely you know it."

"I understand."

"…Do you think the Varia has a hand in this mess? There's a report that some familiar faces were sighted near the core of the mess."

"I doubt it. They only seem to take advantage of the situation. Muddying up the water just to speed up their own schemes." With that being said, the Ninth Boss leaned back on his chair, looking older and weary.

"How troublesome." Reborn clicked his tongue. With Xanxus' minions making inroad at a time like this, things would get very complicated soon. It wasn't safe here anymore.

He straightened his shoulders and leaned towards the older man. "But you didn't call me here just for a little chat, did you, Nono? As interesting as it may be, I think I'll take my leave now if that's the case."

He was sure about Nono's good intentions towards Narumi, but it wasn't as pure as the man made it sound. After all, Nono was a Vongola Boss. And everybody knew that the first and foremost priority of the Vongola Boss was always for the Vongola Famiglia. There was no exception. Beneath his kind exterior, the older man could be ruthless and heartless if necessary.

It was The Ninth Boss who had carried out judgment on Xanxus. It was Nono himself who had spared his adopted son's life, but in Reborn's opinion, a fate of being sealed in cryogenics sleep forever was hardly better than death.

As the best hitman in the world, he had made a lot of enemies and so-called rivals (idiots) in his professional career, those who would gladly get rid of him once and for all if given the tiniest chance. So, after the curse had been lifted, he sought for and owed the Vongola Boss three favors in return for shelter, since that had been the time when he was most vulnerable to any form of attack.

His body had changed constantly between adult and child before settling to a pattern that made him transform into a child by night and into his adulthood by day. According to Verde, this procedure would continue until their child form finally grew up and reached the age when they had been cursed. In Reborn's case, it meant after he was 26.

Sometimes Reborn pondered why the hell he should still put up with all this shit. Sometimes, just before he shoved that thought deep into the corner of his mind, he found himself some victims to lash his bad mood out on.

The Ninth Boss didn't respond to his statement. The older man just closed his eyes for a minute, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was in great conflict. When those eyes were opened again, they gleamed with a sharp and all business-like look.

"I believe I have a favor to ask of you, Reborn."

Reborn just smirked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hibari, Yamamoto, Chrome, Narumi, Adelheid - 16.
> 
> Tsuna, Kyoko, Hana - 17.
> 
> Reborn (child form) -11.
> 
> And the current timeline is set in April. I've vaguely mentioned about it in chapter 8, in the extra, Tsuna texted to Kyoko that his mother thought they need a vacation before the beginning of the new semester...


	14. In which there's a lot of fluff

**Beta'd by Pure Red Crane**

* * *

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When they got to the rooftop, the place had already become a battle field. The screeching sound of metal clashing against metal made Tsuna cringe inside as his gaze immediately glued onto the two figures in the middle of the fight.

At the first glance, it seemed like the black haired girl –Adelheid– had the upper hand. With her agility and repetitive assaults, she forced her opponent to back down and take a defensive stance. But Tsuna had hung around with Kyoya long enough to know the signs of a mock battle when he saw one. The prefect was clearly just testing the strength of the girl, and not putting his full power into the fight. It was just a matter of time before the teen deemed it enough and would change back to a more aggressive style. Then this fight would be all over.

"Wow! I've never seen someone who could hold their ground so well against Hibari-san besides you, Tsuna!" Standing next to the brunet, Takeshi said.

Normally, Tsuna would offer Takeshi a wobbly smile for that declaration, but there was hardly anything normal about this whole affair. So, Tsuna slowly, ever so slowly, craned his neck around to take a not so secretive glance at Reborn, only to find the hitman was staring straight back at him with  _a look_.

A red siren immediately raised in his mind.  _This isn't good._

Tsuna wondered whether he should call a retreat for now. Surely Kyoya and Adelheid could figure out their problem without his interference just fine. The last thing he wanted to do was quirk up Reborn's suspicion and trap himself in another mess. God knew what the man would do if he found out about Tsuna's Sky Flame, or worse, his true identity.

But before he could put his escape plan into motion, the only exit was opened again, revealing the familiar face of his younger brother.

"Hey, Reborn, what did you call me for?" the blond said, frowning.

At the same time, Takeshi let out an impressed whistle. "Wow!"

And Tsuna was back to watching the fight, momentarily distracted by the image unfold before him.

Adelheid was backing away from a powerful swing of the prefect's tonfas. She clicked her tongue loudly, while the prefect was eyeing her with a slightly confused look plastered on his face. Then, as if on cue, these two started taking off and charging towards each other in perfect sync once again, seemingly ready to tear each other apart.

"As a Boss, you should end this-"

"What—?"

Tsuna was so struck by the sheer strength of déjà vu flooding his mind, triggered by the sight before him, that he ignored what was going around him in the vicinity. However, he quickly realized his mistake when the feeling of a body slamming into his surged up the next moment, causing him to teeter and sway dangerously.

He ended up stumbling several steps forward along with the other person… right into the heart of the fight.

In a split of a second, Tsuna caught a glimpsed of Kyoya's surprised expression.

And then, he took notice of the whipping tonfa coming up to his direction.  _Definitely not good._

Everything happened so fast. One moment he was watching the rarely startled face of the prefect. The next, he was violently thrust downward onto the hard floor.

Tsuna immediately saw colored stars reigning in his vision, hardly hearing anything beyond his own frantic heartbeats.

He finally made out Takeshi's worried voice only a few minutes after. It still sounded somewhat muffled to him though.

"-an you hear me?"

"I'm fine." Tsuna replied automatically, trying to sit up by himself. "Ow! Don't touch it!" He hissed in pain, inclining his head away from Kyoya's hovering hand.

But the prefect was a stubborn person. He leaned forward and pressed his thumbs on the spot that was next to Tsuna's wound, touching his cheek. "What are you doing here?" Kyoya scowled, yet his touch was surprisingly gentle.

"Kusakabe asked me to interfere if things got ugly…" Seeing the thunderous expression flashing Kyoya's face, Tsuna quickly amended, "But it's more for your opponent than you. I'm sure he had good intention and just didn't want the fight get too bloody!"

"Where's Kusakabe?" the prefect said, his scowl deepening.

"He's guarding the door," Tsuna sighed as he made a vague hand motion towards the exit door, "To make sure no one get through."

Kusakabe was the one who induced Kyoko and Hana to go home, to which Tsuna whole-heartedly agreed with. He didn't want the girls to be involved in the mafia-related mess that was somehow still hot in his heels, even in this life.

Then again, it raised another question.

"Narumi, how did you get here?" He asked his brother, who was still lying near him with Adelheid crouching down by his side. It seemed that the blond had gotten a worse hit than him from the black haired girl. Unlike her, at least Kyoya had managed to change the angle of his attack at the last second, thus lessening the pain Tsuna had to suffer. Guess Narumi didn't share his fate.

"Through the door," was the snarl Narumi gave him. And wasn't it full of sarcasm?

"I know." Tsuna rolled his eyes, "But seriously, how did you get through the door? It's guarded."

"Like it can stop me." Narumi sneered.

Tsuna frowned at that taunted statement. Next to him, Kyoya abruptly stood up and headed straight to the door, the tail of his black jacket billowing in the wind.

Sighing again, Tsuna fumbled to follow him with Takeshi's help. However, when they walked past Reborn, Tsuna sent him a withered glare, just for good measure, because he was certain that the hitman was the reason why Narumi had fallen on him in the first place.

He received a knowing smirk in return. Creepy.

They found a furious Kyoya on the other side of the door. Well, Kyoya's face was actually mostly blank, but the killing intent was currently rolling off his body like a waterfall, almost tangible to anyone who had eyes. For once, Tsuna could pinpoint the exact source of reason.

Several members of the DC were sprawling on the staircase, some lightly injured while the others were unconscious. It seemed that this disaster was made of only by one person.

Tsuna darted his gaze around to find Kusakabe, but he didn't see him anywhere.

"Where's Kusakabe?" Tsuna asked the nearest member in a hushed whisper.

"He-He had a phone call and went away…Tol-Told us to guard the door. But a blond appeared and…"

From the frightened expression on his face, Tsuna was sure the poor teen only just joined the DC. The older members knew it was better to just fake passing out rather than deal with Kyoya's wrath at the moment.

 _Oh, this is going to be a disaster,_ Tsuna thought.

"Do you know about the blond, Tsuna?" Takeshi asked beside him.

"…Well, he's my brother."

"…I never knew you had a brother." There was something strange in Takeshi's tone, like he was hurt that Tsuna hadn't told him about that piece of information.

"We…aren't on very good terms. Really…To the best of my knowledge, he was in Italy most of the time. We haven't talked to each other for ages and I don't think I know much about him." Tsuna said carefully, dipping his head a little. It was best to leave out the fact that he really didn't know a thing about his 'younger brother'. Nothing at all.

"Oh…" Takeshi said, clearly taking the wrong turn of assumption inside his mind. Suddenly, he reverted back to his cheerful demeanor. "It's okay, Tsuna! I've heard that siblings always have their own way to show affection to each other! You're a very nice person. Your brother will surely get along with you soon enough."

"Thanks, Takeshi." Tsuna smiled faintly. "I hope so."

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* * *

In the end, Takeshi had been dragged away by his new baseball club coach (it seemed that the black hair teen wasn't allowed to skip any practices), and somehow, Tsuna found himself going for a walk with Kyoya to the prefect's new office. It was a spacious room with elegantly black sofas and three lounge chairs to the left, a floor-to-ceiling file cabinet with drawer units lining up to the right, and a large, black-brown desk with stacks of documents on it by the double-glass window. The furniture pieces were all new and shining with a light that reeked off money. And not for the first time, Tsuna wondered what the hell Kyoya's family was like so he could be allowed to bathe in a luxury like this.

Anyway, Tsuna dug out a first-aid kit from one of the lowest drawers (Kusakabe always made a habit to keep the healing equipment in random places like that, because Kyoya always needed them more often than not), then made his way to one of the chairs and slumped down comfortably into the seat.

He had no trouble treating his wound. The brunet was used to doing it all the time after all, considering his life style. What he minded, however, was the intense stare that the prefect was bearing into his skull right now.

"Is there something strange on my face, Kyoya?" He asked, in lieu of saying  _'Stop staring. It's getting creepy'_ and hoped that the skylark would pick up the clues.

Typically, the black haired teen didn't take on the hints. Instead, he asked back, "Why are you still wearing these clothes?"

"Because this is school and I'm a student. So I sort of need to wear the uniform?"

Kyoya frowned.

Tsuna tried his best to look innocent.

"Honestly, Kyoya, you don't expect me to wear the DC uniform, do you? I've told you earlier that I wouldn't join. Surely, you still have to remember…" Tsuna sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in pure exasperation. Honestly, could this whole recruitment get any more ridiculous? He sincerely hoped it wasn't. He couldn't guarantee the absurd he could do in the name of keeping his sanity intact.

"You promised to join."

"Only if I lost the fight with you, which I certainly didn't."

It had been one hell of a fight, in which Tsuna had managed to win in the end, but it was a really close call, merely due to his superior experience in combat.

"…"

Tsuna blinked his eyes, quite confused. Were his eyes deceiving him or was Kyoya currently sulking?

The brunet tried not to stare too much at the prefect. He had a limit of what weirdness he could handle in one day, and today had just been pushing him too far to his liking.

Tsuna slowly stood up and went to sit next to Kyoya on the sofa, reaching out to rest a hand against the black haired teen's forehead. "What's wrong, Kyoya? You seem restless today," he murmured softly.

Thank God, it wasn't a cold or fever talking. He wasn't quite ready to deal with a sick Kyoya today.

Grey eyes stared back at him, and Tsuna caught a gleam of light in these orbs that always appeared when the black haired teen was in deep conflict. Then the thoughtful moment passed and what remained was only a deep pond of blankness.

Tsuna wanted to tear out his hair in frustration. From the blank look on Kyoya's face, it would be impossible to get the answer out of him. The prefect had made his decision, and it was that he wouldn't tell Tsuna anything.

In the end, Tsuna heaved out another sigh, but he didn't push any further.

If the prefect was ready, he would tell him what he wanted or Tsuna would fight him to get him to talk. This was how their relationship worked. But Tsuna didn't want to provoke a fight. Not now.

"I don't understand why it's so important for me to join, considering I feel like I'm half a member of the Disciplinary Committee already…I mean, I've hung around with you an awful lot throughout the year, and it's not that I won't continue doing so in the future." Tsuna stated quietly, filling in the stretching silence, "Besides, it's not that I will join any other clubs. I'm busy enough as it is."

Tsuna was perplexed at how smoothly those words came out of his mouth. But he realized it was the truth. He didn't want to join any club. It was bad enough that he became close with the people here in this world. It would make his…departure more difficult and uncomfortable over time.

He cast his gaze down for a moment. His shirt cuffs were well in place, and while he didn't care if anyone saw the scars hidden underneath them, he was well aware of what effects it would have been for those close with him.

His mother always looked so sad when she saw them, like she was going to burst into tears at any second after he turned his back. Takeshi and Kyoya had seen them once, and not that it had been entirely their fault, but Tsuna still had headache at all the acts of the not-so-subtle protectiveness they had shown around him for a month before Tsuna finally put his foot down, declaring enough was enough. For God's sake, he wasn't the damsel in mistress or a fragile thing under any circumstance!

The damage had already been done though. Some poor blokes would never dare as much to walk in the same path with him ever again.

They didn't understand why he seemed to not care. They would never understand. These scars, they were not his. They were the reminders of why he was thrust into this world, of a person that would maybe never have a chance to truly live in the first place. He didn't care if they were ugly or upsetting or gross, he cared for their meaning.

They were not meant to be forgotten.

* * *

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.

.

"Tsuna, why do you decline my offer?"

The brunet sighed. This wouldn't go well for any sides. "It's not a matter of who asked first, Kyoko-chan." He said tiredly. "I just lack the inspiration to join the Student Council."

"And you have an inspiration to join the DC? The violent organization everybody fears?"

"It's not that  _bad_."

"And you even joined the club that was just founded yesterday!"

"I just  _think_  about joining it, Kyoko-chan!" Tsuna said. It was the best answer he could give. Reborn would harass him to no end if he bluntly said no to his face.

"Yeah, and you never even gave it a second thought to say no to me. I fail to see the difference between them and mine, Tsuna-kun. Can you tell me why?"

"It's complicated…" The brunet trailed off, "Look, Kyoko-chan, nothing will change. I'll still help you with your paperwork, okay? You can come to me at any time."

Kyoko gasped, and Tsuna immediately knew he had said the wrong thing.

"I've known how to deal with my paperwork on my own for a long time…" Kyoko bit her lower lip, and oh God, were those tears in the corner of her eyes? "…I just want an excuse to see you…"

There was a long, uneasy pause.

Everything Tsuna came up with in his mind was too awkward to say aloud. He needed a manual textbook of how to deal with this kind of  _'I've- made-a-girl cry-What-the hell-should-I-do-now?'_  situation.

"I just want to spend more time with you! Why can't you see that, Tsuna?!"

With that being yelled at him, Kyoko promptly ran away.

The brunet widened his eyes. That definitely wasn't something he had expected.

Running his hand through his hair until it became a total mess, Tsuna let out a frustrating sigh.

Crap, now he felt like he was the biggest douchebag on the face of the planet.

He had to apologize to Kyoko as soon as possible.

* * *

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.

A strangled noise escaped the brunet's mouth as he jolted up from the dream (nightmare?). In a fraction of a second, he just knew this was  _one_  of the times.

He could feel it, the way all of his senses suddenly honed and sharpened and  _flared_.

Tsuna gasped for breaths and had to struggle to repress the urge to tear his skin off. It itched so much it was like there were hundreds of butterflies swarming underneath, begging for a way out. He was constantly aware of his skin, of the rub of seams and the weight of fabric, the way it pressed against him, the way it itched and stretched and moved.

His eyelids fluttered, then snapped wide open as his fuzzy mind eventually detected another presence right in his personal space. More precisely, right in his arms.

A surge of pure panic washed over him, causing his mind to leap over miles at the terrified aspect of having another presence in his vulnerable moments.

The only thing stifling him from violently repelling out of this close contact was the scent of coffee and gunpowder that wrapped thinly around the body beside him, of the heat emitting from another human being ( _alive_ ), of the heartbeats thundering in his ears  _(alive!)._  They were all so familiar and strangely melancholic that it made his heart ache with nostalgia.

_Haven._

_Kinship._

_Mine._

_Mine._

There was something strange underlying those fleeting thoughts, as if he could have wept over and over again just from the warmth in his chest. There was a moment when something came up to him, something  _so_  precious and within his reach that all he needed to do was just extending his hand and  _(finally)_  retain his me-

Then he heard the buzzing from the television nearby, a repetitive and screeching sound. It was so loud he felt his ears bleeding.  _Stop._ He wanted to yell, but the word was caught in his throat. The only thing escaping his mouth was incoherent noise.  _Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop._

Tsuna felt like he was drowning. He didn't like it at all. But the suffocation he felt was so real, he couldn't extinguish it for the sake of his life. In a desperate attempt, he tried to listen to the heartbeats thundering in his hearing, both his and the other's, so he could block out all the other noises and unpleasant sensations. Cast them aside. Match his own heart beat to the rhythm.

It helped.

The body beside him went even more rigid as he draped his arms over their shoulder for a tighter hug. Tsuna knew he should let go now  _(nice things never last long)_  but he couldn't help it. He desperately needed something ( _someone_ ) to hold onto, to find an anchor in this ocean of infinity.

Letting out a relived sigh, Tsuna eventually focused on the why and what was going on here…

After what seemed like forever, he finally got a grasp of his reality.

It seemed that he had been fallen asleep in the living room while watching telly, and somehow ended up in this situation. The person, to whom he had been clinging to, was much shorter than him, judging from the narrow shoulders and hip…combined with the trademark scent he had smelled previously in the air…

"'…R'orn?" he rasped. Well, since he doubted that Reborn would ever touch him in his sleep, the blame was maybe totally on him this time. Perhaps he had dragged Reborn down in his sleeping state.

…Was it a problem here? ( _Yes_ , a voice said somewhere in his muddy brain, but Tsuna was too tired to properly care about it.)

"Yes, I am," was the subdued reply.

Casting his eyes downwards, Tsuna found it hard to see Reborn's expression with a mop of black hair obscuring his vision. It didn't help when the only light in the room was from the dim screen of the television. He didn't mind it though.

"Have you been here long?"

"Just a while."

 _Lies_. His intuition chimed in, but Tsuna had hardly any strength to point out the ( _obvious_ ) lie.

Not when his entire body was so useless.

"Let go of me, Tsunayoshi."

 _Yeah,_  Tsuna wanted to say. It was the right thing to do, he supposed, but the warmth in his arms told him otherwise. It had been a long time since he had been this physically close to anyone, and Tsuna felt utterly, incredibly content. He didn't want to let Reborn go. Not yet. He still wanted to stay in these wonderful moments just a little longer.

"Tsuna."

"What?"

"You don't have to call me Tsunayoshi." Tsuna murmured. "Just Tsuna is fine."

Feeling a bit drowsy, he shifted his weight, twisting his body a little so he could rest more comfortably on the leather sofa. The brunet buried his nose in Reborn's hair as he began to doze off again, his arms still holding the hitman tightly around his waist.

It was a small waist, by the way.

Tsuna's hazy mind thought it was kind of cute that Reborn was now so small that the brunet could cuddle to him so easily, though perhaps it was just the insane part of his head talking. But it was nice, really; the cuddling and clinging.

Of course, this blissful moment was too good to last long.

Exactly five seconds later, Tsuna fell off the sofa and down onto the hard surface of the floor. Somebody decided enough was enough and kicked him out. The warmth he had been gathering abruptly dispersed.

With an indignant yelp, the brunet sat up with his head in his hands, either disgruntled or despairing.

"Ow!" Tsuna groaned, "What's that for?"

"I'm not your teddy bear, pervert-Tsuna!"

Tsuna titled his head as if that would make him understand better.  _Oh,_   _this is new_ , Tsuna mused. Usually, it was him who called the others perverts. Now he was being called a 'pervert'. Was this karma?

Tsuna blinked his eyes owlishly, trying to focus his brain to produce a comprehensive reply or a smart feedback.

He found none.

In the end, he decided it was still too early for him to be able to make any sense out of this situation. He was definitely not a morning person.  _Nope_.

Heaving a great sigh, the brunet hoisted his legs up from the cold floor and sluggishly trudged over to the kitchen to make himself a cup of cappuccino, as well as find some chocolate bars stored in the drawers to fill in his empty stomach. He didn't know why, but the taste of chocolate melting on the tip of his tongue always did a wonderful trick to calm down his nerves and soothe his haywire senses.

On a second thought, he also made an expresso cup, and offered it to Reborn, who tentatively took it. The hitman watched him carefully for a few seconds before taking a sip of his drink. Tsuna smiled a small smile when he took another sip of his own cup, sitting down on his chair.

He was grateful for the blissful silence afterwards.

* * *

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She strolled through an empty corridor, heading down to a door that was hidden to anyone if not looking carefully enough. Glass shards crunched under her boots as she walked past the debris and jagged edges, her footsteps echoing resonantly on the empty paths, making it sound even emptier than it actually was.

Everything in this place was broken beyond repair. It had an eerie atmosphere. It felt as if something would leap out of in any second.

And she was lost.

She didn't realize it at first though. Shame on her really, because what did it say about her – an illusionist- that she didn't even realize it was an illusion trap when she was walking right into one?

But the mind she was walking in, it wasn't normal. Far from it, in fact. It was so overwhelmed in any senses, and downright breathtaking to the point of a masterpiece. There were so many hidden layers beneath the broken parts, hiding the truth and misleading the trespassers. If she didn't know better, she would think that this beautiful mind belonged to an illusionist.

But it wasn't.

It was  **protected**  by an illusionist, a very powerful one that perhaps even surpassed her brother.

Suddenly, a deep rumble from somewhere underneath her feet filled in the air. The ground promptly shook, nearly knocking her off her feet in its wake. She flailed in moments, trying to crouch down and hold onto the ground, only to find a minute later that the hard surface of marbles was becoming softer and softer like mud. Around her, the labyrinth of corridors spun and collapsed, revealing the grey sky above.

Water started to stream from myriad of cracks in the ground, flooding the entire area, along with the rapid growth of lotus flowers and vines coming out of nowhere. Those white lotuses were everywhere.

To her utter horror, the plants started to crawl up on her skin with a firm and strong grip. Its thorns dug deep into her skin, sucking out blood like a starved animal. From her open wounds, beautiful red lotuses bloomed into full blossoms. She struggled to throw them off, but it was too late. She was already trapped.

The painful experience didn't stop though. She realized, with a terrified noise escaping her lips, that the stream of water was surrounding her wrists and legs gradually transformed into ice. Much like the lotus plants, it slowly made its way up the rest of her body. At this rate, she would become an ice statue in no time.

 _I need to get out of here_. She tried to bite back hysterical sobs that threatened to overflow from her mouth, focusing on her will to leave this place. Everything was so hurt and cold here.

_Get out of here, get out of here. I need to get out of here. Back. Back. Back to brother. Brother!_

As her resolution turned stronger, she felt her scary surroundings slowly crack and collapse, fading back into the background and signaling her escape from this frozen world. Somehow, in the process, she thought she heard the trademark laugh of her dear brother echo from afar. But it might have been her paranoia.

Soon enough, she fell into the embrace of sweet darkness.

…

Gasping for air, she found herself back in their hideout, a warehouse, far away from the brilliant mind with lethal dangers.

"Nagi! Nagi? My dear, what's wrong?"

"…Brother, I'm sorry. I-I couldn't make it," she croaked out, still weak from her mind incursion. She never felt more relieved to hear her brother's voice in her entire life. "His mind…it seems like it's under protection from a very powerful illusion. I can't break through."

Her whole body was still trembling from the lingering sensation of freezing ice and sharp thorns. The tremors stopped as solid arms circled around her back, pulling her into a hug.

She gladly leaned into the touch of her brother, letting herself drown in the safe feeling that was always triggered by his mere presence.

"Oya, that's unexpected." Her brother chuckled lightly, but it was shallow with a hint of menace. "I thought that it wouldn't be so easy, but to think even you can't have any access to the boy's mind… That illusion must have truly been something to behold. Fufu, I guess I've underestimated the power of the Vongola illusionists after all. Surely the Vongola Decimo must have all the best precautions they can afford for."

* * *

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_**EXTRA 1** _

"Oh, I've bought you a souvenir." Tsuna said excitedly, putting down a bird little figurine on the desk. "I think you'll like it. So, say hi to Hibird! Hibird, this is Kyoya."

"It's a stupid name."

"Hey! It's not a stupid name! Hibird is a nice, cool name." Tsuna protested.  _And you're the one that named it that in the first place_ , he mentally added.

"Hn."

"Fine. If you don't like it, I'll take it back." Tsuna reached his hand out towards the figurine, pretending to snatch it back. However, he had to abort his action halfway because of a lethal glare that promised hell would rain upon him if he  _dare_  do it.

"It's mine now." Kyoya glared at him.

Tsuna just raised his hand in defeat and offered the prefect a knowing smile, implying that he completely understood and thought that the prefect was just being shy.

Kyoya's brows twitched.

Fifteen seconds later, the brunet ran out of the DC office with a flying tonfa in tow.

"See you later! Kyoya!" Tsuna called back, smiling all the way out.

Inside the office, Kyoya quirked the edge of his mouth upwards.

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.

From then on, anyone who happened to be in that office always saw a bird figurine laying on the prefect's desk, and it was a long time before Kyoya's fan club found out that it was a gift for their idol, rather than the favorite thing that he had bought for himself.

* * *

_**.** _

_**.** _

_**.** _

_**EXTRA 2** _

"May I ask why you didn't ask Tsuna-san to come to the gathering in the main house with you? It's next week, Kyoya-san." Kusakabe carefully enquired as he handed a detailed file on local gangster activities over to the prefect. He half expected his question to be ignored, so it was perplexing for him to hear Kyoya's response:

"Why not?"

"Um…your mother will definitely not leave you alone?" Kusakabe winced at the stupid reply that came out of his mouth. By now, the black haired teen had shifted his focus entirely on him, and oh, wasn't it a somewhat terrified experience being under that scrutinizing gaze? He briefly had to wonder how Tsuna could endure this glare so easily with a smile intact. The brunet must have had really thick skin. That or he was a superman in disguise.

"I don't understand, Kyoya-san. Surely it's better to fill in your mother's curiosity?" Kusakabe continued, fishing around for more gossi— erm, for more information! It seemed that Kyoya was in a good mood today to actually be able to perform some kind of  _chat_  with him. Once again, his respect for a certain brunet skyrocketed. He was sure that the brunet was the source of that good mood.

"Kusakabe, think." Kyoya-san frowned. "What will she do if she has a chance to meet the omnivore?"

Kusakabe immediately recognized the look that the prefect was wearing on his face. It meant he thought Kusakabe was being obtuse on purpose.

 _What would she do?_  Kusakabe asked himself…and shuddered involuntarily at the mental image of the prefect's mother. She would do all kinds of nefarious methods just to obtain what she wanted. She was the type of person who believed that the end justifies the means.

And if she somehow got a hand on the brunet that the prefect was smothering around (smothering in Kyoya's own style, of course, sometimes with tender gestures and most of the time with non-violent grunts. It was so painfully obvious that Kusakabe thought he might have grey hairs before 20 with none of the two parties involved being the wiser. He just couldn't believe how oblivious those two could be when coming down to emotion!), it'd be a catastrophe in making…

Kusakabe's face was as white as a sheet of paper by that mere thought of it.

"Tighten the protection around the omnivore when I'm in absence. Make sure nothing happens."

"Yes, sir!"


	15. Just a not quite peaceful day

**Beta'd by Pure Red Crane**

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Tsuna floated through the next several days in a haze. As he continued trying to balance his life among studying, self-training and hanging out with his friends, Tsuna somehow had made it the mission of his life to avoid Reborn at any cost.

In his defense, however, he was telling himself that he needed some time to get over the fact that he had been a clinging child to Reborn on that particular night.

His face was still on fire whenever he recalled the details of that night though. It made him want to crawl into a burrow and never resurface again.

At the moment, he was leaning over a table with a wet rag in hand, trying to scrub off a conspicuous stain that was in the center of the wooden piece in VRP clubs. This task was boring to death, but at least it provided him with something to temporarily take his mind off a certain subject, so he wasn't the picky one here.

It didn't escape his mind that somehow, he had agreed to do something for Reborn again without being the wiser. It was how he had been roped into doing this laundry job in the first place. Yeah, he got lost somewhere by a creepy smirk and knowing eyes. And handsome face, too, but not that it mattered much. Not when the times he wanted to punch this face outnumbered those when he thought it was handsome.

Behind him, the door was opened. By the time Tsuna looked up, there were two girls standing before him.

"Hello."

"Hello, Hana-san, and…"

"I'm Mizuhara Shino," the short haired girl greeted. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sawada-kun. I've heard a lot of you from Hana-chan."

"Really?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "I hope it wasn't very bad."

"Oh, don't worry. She said you were kind of like a brooding cat. She didn't describe you as a monkey, so, coming from her, I count it as a compliment. But I think you're more like a cute hamster, really."

Tsuna suddenly had a feeling he was being molested. The girl standing before him looked like she was undressing him with her eyes. The brunet unconsciously backed away, the hair on his arm standing on end. Something about this girl was…off, and Tsuna didn't want to be near her.

"Hana-san, is that true?" He gave out a drily laugh, inclining his head to the black-haired girl and silently begging for salvation in a fragile hope. The black hair girl had turned a cold shoulder to him after his one-sided confrontation with Kyoko, and things with her definitely didn't get better, even though Kyoko had accepted his apologies.

(According to Kyoko, Tsuna now officially owed her a year of free cakes in the famous Nara's bakery. The weight of his wallet suffered greatly from that, but Tsuna thought it was well worth it.)

"Mizuhara–senpai, didn't you say you had something urgent to ask?" Hana finally said, seemingly taking pity for the brunet.

"Oh yes, look at me, I almost forget. Well, I came here for a request. Is it true that your club can find anything for anyone?"

"I don't know. I'm not a member here." Tsuna said honestly.

"So why are you here?" Her eyes flicked to the rag Tsuna was still holding, "Why are you holding a rag?"

"Eh…"

"What's up?" Narumi poked his head through the door. His scowl smoothed down and vanished as soon as he saw these girls. With a thousand-watt smile plastered on his face, he approached them confidently, "Hello, young ladies, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?"

Mizuhara giggled when Narumi pressed a brief kiss on Shino's hand. "Oh, you're such a gentlemen!"

"And you're such a nice lady. I'm Narumi."

"I'm Mizuhara Shino." The short haired girl beamed at the blond.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mizuhara-chan. And you're…?"

"Kurokawa Hana. Touch me and I'll hit you." Hana glared at Narumi.

Narumi raised an eyebrow at that statement, and winked at the black haired girl. "I would never dare,  _Hana-chan_."

Hana looked like she was just one step away from shooting an arrow at Narumi. Tsuna kind of thought that the scenario really could have happened if Hana had a bow in her hand. He recalled she had showed her clear distaste to womanizer type not just once in the past.

Anyway, Tsuna crept his way to the exit. He didn't want to be caught in a war zone or anything like that, thank you very much.

"Tsuna, where do you think you're going?" Hana's voice was uncharacteristically low. It made Tsuna stopped dead in his tracks.

The look on her face promised pure forthcoming doom for him if he ever left her here on her own.

Tsuna inwardly sighed.

* * *

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It turned out that Mizuhara's house was near an abandoned hospital, and for the last two weeks, there was something weird occurring there.

By something weird, she meant lights suddenly went on and off in random rooms at ungodly hours. Mizuhara swore she had heard human voice calling for help when she once walked by the former medical institution after a late session of evening classes.

"I only heard them once. Those raspy voices, they belonged to men, and they really scared me…I thought I was imagining them that time, but when I asked my neighbors after that, they said they had heard it too," Mizuhara said dramatically, but Tsuna knew she wasn't lying. Somehow, it just spelled 'trouble' to him.

"So, in summary, you want us to investigate this building for you?" Narumi asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry. But I'm afraid that we're not the kind of help you want. Please go to the Horror club, or whatever club in the school that researches paranormal deities. I think they'd better suit your problems."

"But Hana recommend me here!" Mizuhara exclaimed.

"I think it's a splendid idea." A voice suddenly intervened.

Tsuna closed his eyes, silently groaning.  _Here comes the madness_.

"Reborn!"

The expressions varied around the table: Narumi pinched the bridge of his nose, Hana looked up with a twinkle in her eyes and blush on her cheeks, and Mizuhara watched the newcomer with a curious stare.

"Our club is founded to help those who want to pursue the truth, even if it means chasing after some ghosts, so may it be."

 _'Just how long you've been eavesdropping on us?'_  Tsuna thought, watching Reborn stride towards them.

"Don't worry," Reborn put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder as he met Mizuhara's gaze. "We accept your request."

"What do you mean 'we'? It'd better not to include me because I'm not a member of this club, and I certainly didn't volunteer in any of your schemes." Shrugging off Reborn's hand, Tsuna frowned at the hitman.

"Even if I ask very nicely?" Reborn leaned over and murmured into his ears.

"Not in a million years." Tsuna hushed back, uncomfortably shifting his body away from the elder man.

"I like you better when you're sleeping. Easier to compromise. Do you want to know what you said in your sleep?"

"I didn't do sleep talking." Tsuna clenched his jaw.

"Oh, but you did." Reborn purred. "It's kind of adorable. So, do you want to be in or not?"

Tsuna glared daggers at the hitman.

"I'll take it as a yes." Reborn smirked.

There was a cough in the air, and both of them looked up to find that they had been the center of attention the whole time. Tsuna couldn't fight back a blush crept up his face at an alarming speed. This was so embarrassing.

Reborn just idly sat down in a chair and cleared his throat, "Yeah?"

"Can I have question?" Mizuhara's hand shot up. Seeing Reborn's nod, she continued in a very serious tone, "Does this club recruit based on appearance?"

 

* * *

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Tsuna took one glance at the abandoned hospital and pondered again the reason of why the hell he was here. He didn't even take a step in the building and he already had chills running down his spine.

"It looks ominous on the outside, doesn't it? I wonder what's lurking inside." Takeshi said.

"I just want to sleep at home." Tsuna mumbled, rubbing his hand on his eye.

The raven haired teen had decided to tag along with him after the brunet complained with him about it. And while Tsuna felt sorry to drag his friend into this mess, a large part of him was glad to find company. At least, he didn't have to suffer alone.

Of course, he wouldn't have gotten out late in the evening for some ghost hunt had it not been for a certain mad man.

The said person was currently in his kid form, dressing like a boy scout with a big backpack over his shoulder and some weird-looking equipment located in his pockets and under the leather belt. Tsuna could only realize an EMF meter the hitman was holding in his hand.

Not far from them, Narumi was standing sullenly with his arms crossing on his chest, and Adelheid, dressed in a black skirt and black jacket, staying just right next to him.

"This is just stupid. Remind me again why I'm here and not in my bed?" Narumi huffed.

 _'Same question here,'_  Tsuna thought.

"It's necessary to investigate your territory and notice any change or trespassing."

"Yeah, whatever…I'm out of here. Adelheid can do it for me just fine."

"Lazy student." Reborn clicked his tongue, pulled out a gun and, unsurprisingly, fired at Narumi. "You always choose the hard way to learn."

The blond didn't have a chance to say anything. He just collapsed onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. When he woke up again, wearing nothing but only boxers, there was a bright orange flame on his forehead.  **"I'll investigate this building with my dying will!** " With that loud proclamation, he stalked off the road headed to the inside the complex with Adelheid sprinting after him like it was daily business.

Tsuna idly observed the whole scene with mixed feelings. On one hand, it was amusing to watch. On the other hand, he wondered whether he also looked like a complete maniac like that in his DW mode…

"I hope he won't catch a cold dressing like that. It's still cold in the spring evening."

"I think that's not the crucial point, Takeshi."

"He'll be okay." Reborn replied. "…Maybe. If he catches a cold, it only means he doesn't have enough endurance, I'll have to increase his training load."

Tsuna involuntarily shuddered at the mention of  _'training_.' It had become an instinct for him to react negatively at that single word coming from Reborn's mouth.

"By the way, here is the bat that can transform into a sword when you swing it fast enough. Take it. You'll need it in case some ghosts decide to appear." Reborn continued, seemingly pulled a baseball bat out of the thin air and handed it to Takeshi.

"Wow, it sounds cool. Thanks, kid!" Takeshi grinned, taking a few strikes experimentally.

"Do you want a slot in a famiglia, Yamamoto Takeshi?"

"Huh?"

"Let's go! Takeshi!" Tsuna raised his voice, hooking his arm into Yamamoto and almost forcefully dragging him to the other side. "Let's finish this quickly and go back home."

* * *

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As far as he was concerned, the entire hospital had been abandoned for years, which made it even crazier that it hadn't been developed into something new and useful, especially with its close proximity to the town.

"Tsuna, look! Are those bullet holes in that door?"

Tsuna inclined his head towards the direction Takeshi's finger was pointing at. He did see a door that looked like it had survived a gunfire match with at least a dozen bullet holes as scars in the center of its surface. Seriously, what the hell?

The deeper they explored the building, the more unsettled Tsuna felt about the whole situation. He couldn't help but feel that there were eyes gawking at every step he took.

So far, the only unusual thing they came across was the bullet-hole filled door. Otherwise, everything was just pretty normal, just dust and rusty debris and broken things everywhere.

But when unexpected thing happened, it occurred very fast.

It began with a yelp on Takeshi's part, complete with the sight of the raven haired teen being dragged away by someone (or worse,  _something_ ), and ended with Tsuna charging after him.

"Takeshi!" Tsuna drawled, bouncing off after his friend.

The chase was futile, much to Tsuna's frustration. Whoever had Takeshi obviously knew the paths here very well and the brunet, with barely any knowledge, could only scramble after them.

What he didn't understand was the way Takeshi had acted though. The raven haired teen seemed to just go with the flow…It was as if he let himself be dragged along.

Tsuna found his answer in a glimpse of image as his flash light caught part of Takeshi's captor.

It was just a fleeting moment, but it was enough for Tsuna to see the familiarly red armband of the DC uniform.

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..

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"It seems I've lost them." Tsuna said, casting his fingers through his hair in an act of frustration.

The truth was, he didn't want to pursuit the chase anymore, not after his little revelation earlier. He should have guessed that this building was some kind of the DC's property, considering Kyoya's control streak over Namimori.

It explained everything here. Surely they had done all those noises and lights to chase away the nearby residents. Takeshi would be fine with them. The DC members definitely wouldn't hurt the raven haired teen.

Now, puzzle solved, all he wanted to do was go back home and finally lay his head down for a nap.

…If only he could persuade his company to agree with him.

Tsuna glanced at the silent kid standing by the window and, momentarily, nostalgia had been triggered by the mere scene. His Reborn had been like that once …

He averted his gaze as the kid met his stare. Soon, Tsuna heard Reborn's childish voice call out to him.

"Tsunayoshi, 17 years old, the first child of Iemitsu and Nana. Born on 14th October, widely known for completely failing in every subject in school, though recently, your grades been slowly but steadily moving slightly above average." Reborn recited in a flat tone, all facts and points.

"You've been called 'Dame-Tsuna' since your childhood, and have had records that show you've suffered from depression, two suicide-attempts and other negative symptoms regarding mental health. Judging by them, it's safe to assume that you're nothing but a normal person, with little bag of cats in your head."

Tsuna had a sinking feeling of what direction this conversation was going to, and he didn't like it one bit.

"What I want to know, however, is why you seem to know a lot about Vongola, and all the mafia-related stuff, despite of your status as a normal civilian." A gun's barrel was aiming to Tsuna's head as these words flew out in the air. "So, care to share with the class here, Tsunayoshi?"

"I've told you to just call me Tsuna." Tsuna said drily. He aimed for nonchalance, but in the end, his voice came out a little shaky at the edge.

"Care to elaborate, Tsuna?" A smile stretched thinly on the hitman's lips. Through the broken windows, moonlight poured down, danced on his skin and created a halo around his raven hair, making it turn into the color of navy blue, if one looked close enough.

The hitman almost looked like an angel like that, so pure and innocent.

An angel with a shotgun.

"You've seen me shoot your younger brother with this gun. Do you know what it's used for?" Reborn's voice, cool and detached, was barely above a whisper, "I'll have you know, if you have any regret in your life, even the tiniest flick, you'll survive the bullet forcing itself into your skull. And then you will be revived by your own dying will to fulfil the regret you last thought about."

"Are you saying that I'll give my secret- if there is any- away, since it'd be the last thing in my mind?"

"Clever boy." The raven hair kid smirked, totally confident.

Tsuna blinked.

Then, he threw his head back. And he laughed.

His laugh echoed eerily on the four concrete walls.

"You can't shoot me," Tsuna finally said, looking straight in Reborn's eyes.

Reborn only released the safeguard of his gun in lieu of a response. It was a sharp and dry sound.

"You know why?" Tsuna continued, taking a step forwards, and another, another, until he was standing one step away from the hitman. There was no way he would miss the slightest change in Reborn's expression at this close distance. "Because there's a flaw in your theory."

Perhaps it might be not have been brightest tactic to confront a professional killer, especially when you weren't the one wielding a gun here, but Tsuna said it anyway, "You imply that I'll give my secret away after I get shot, but assuming that I don't have any regret, I'll die. Am I right?"

From the look flashing on Reborn's face, Tsuna knew he had hit the jack pot. "You can't afford it, can you? If I die, you would be in serious trouble."

"You're selling yourself too high here."

"Maybe." Tsuna shook his head lightly. "But still. You won't shoot me."

"No one wants to die. They always have regret."

"There are people out there who would rather die contently to keep their secret safe and untouched."

"I can make your life seven hells so that you will beg me to shoot you."

"Threats will get you nowhere, Reborn."

The tension afterwards was palpable.

Would revealing his true identity to the hitman be a good choice? Tsuna didn't know.

Surely, Reborn had resources and contacts that the brunet didn't have, not in this world, and it certainly would dramatically increase his chances to find a way back home. The only problem lied in his consent though.

He trusted his Reborn with everything he had, even with his own life. But this Reborn? He didn't know about him.

It was the same reason as to why he hadn't searched for help from the Vongola Family and the others. It would not only put himself in some ridiculous situation (his story was too much unreal), but also put the 'Tsuna' in this world at risk too. If 'he' ever returned back to his own body, what would happen?

When you were in, there was simply no exit. It was how things worked in the underworld.

Should he take this gamble? To place his trust on the hand of the one not-his-important-person in this world?

 _'This will be one hell of a decision,'_ _Tsuna_  bit his lower lip thoughtfully.

Fortunately, the brunet didn't have to dwell on his contemplation long, since there was suddenly a loud BANG from the door.

The mental door shuttered in a weak protest before giving in and collapsing on the ground, revealing a male figure dashing inside the room.

In the dim light, Tsuna could see the newcomer's head dart around his vicinity, seemingly gauging for some equation. His gaze lingered at Reborn's gun at some point, and then, out of the blue, lunged his body to Tsuna's direction, hands holding a knife and face contorted in pure desperation.

Needless to say, Tsuna wasn't impressed at all.

The brunet eliminated the knife threat with a simple yet swift kick at the stranger's hand. When the man seemed to be stunted by his performance, Tsuna quickly seized his opponent, forcing the man's body to hit the ground. All of that only took eight seconds.

"Ugh…" the man groaned.

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked, twisting the man's arm harder behind his back.

To his surprise, the man just passed out.

"Huh?" Tsuna frowned, confused. He didn't put that much force into it, did he?

"This way!"

Tsuna perked up at the voice outside. He heard footsteps approaching and had to rise up a hand to shield his eyes from the Lantern LED light that brightened up the entire room.

"Takeshi!" Tsuna said, blinking his eyes at the other newcomer.

"Tsuna!" Takeshi stood in the doorway, a sheepish look on his face, "I'm sorry. But Kusakabe asked me to play along. He swore there would be no harm to you. It seems all of this was just a test."

"A test?"

"Yes." Kusakabe appeared behind Takeshi. He approached the unconscious man and crouched down, seemingly examining him. "I apologise for this inconvenience, Tsuna-san. This was meant to be the test I intended to prepare for you and Takeshi. To track a mark and capture them in a limited time."

Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's about the recruitment again, isn't it?"

"Correct." The teen nodded solemnly. With a snap of the fingers, two DC members showed up and carried the stranger away. "But truthfully, I didn't expect to see you two so early. Anyways, you've proved yourself enough in the past year, and after tonight, I think it's safe to officially announce your position as one of the elite members of the DC. I'll spread the word out to all of our members. A welcomed feast would be held within this month."

"Please don't." Tsuna said, his expression haughtily blank. "You're forcing me to consider murdering you in your sleep."

* * *

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.

Things went pretty fast afterwards. When Tsuna finally had the time to pull himself together, he was already sitting on one of the benches of Namimori Park, watching the sunrise with Kusakabe as a company.

Takeshi had divided with him as soon as they left the abandoned hospital, endeavouring to get himself some rest before his morning baseball drill. He didn't know about his younger brother and Adelheid, but perhaps they would be fine nonetheless.

And Reborn…well, the hitman was already gone the moment Kusakabe had appeared. But Tsuna understood the silent massage. Their conservation was far from over. No, he would have to face his elephant in the room sooner than he thought.

"So, what's really going on in the hospital?" he asked quietly, his hand wrapping around a paper cup of coffee in search of warmth rather than drinking it. "It's not as simple as you said."

It was a fact, not a question.

"Sometimes, your perception scares me, Tsuna-san." Kusakabe sighed, "What makes you assume that?"

"Intuition." Tsuna replied honestly, completely unfazed at the disbelieving look he received.

"Right." Kusakabe said slowly, and he sighed once more. "I guess you have the right to know about it. After all, it's about Kyoya-san and you."

Tsuna inclined his head in a motion of 'Go ahead'. Seriously, of course this would involve the prefect in it. About the mention of his part, however, Tsuna conveniently ignored it for the time being.

"The man from earlier, he's a spy sent from the main house by Kyoya-san's mother. We just caught him two weeks ago and kept him ever since. Before you ask…No, Kyoya-san didn't know about this. I designed the whole thing. Normally, I'd let the spy roam freely with only a few of restrictions, since he only seeks for small pieces of information to keep tabs on the prefect on behalf of her mother. But lately…He's gone too far this time, fishing for something he couldn't obtain…"

"He tried to come get you, Tsuna-san. Or rather, that is what Kyoya-san's mother wants. It seems she's gotten curious about you because of the relationship between you and Kyoya-san. And…" A hesitant look flashed through Kusakabe's expression, "It's perhaps not my place to tell you this, but I think you better know it beforehand…"

Tsuna hastily said, "In this case, don't say-"

"Kyoya-san, he's the youngest son, and the second heir of the Hibari clan, the strongest yakuza organization in Japan."

* * *

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**Extra 1:**

"You're really dumb, you know that?"

Tsuna tilted his head, quietly confused by the accusation.

He got a snort in reply.

"Right." The black haired girl rolled her eyes. "I really don't know what Kyoko-chan sees in you, but you better leave her alone. Stop being all nice and good around her if you don't have the same feelings as she does."

"Isn't it okay to just be friends? I…just want to be her friend…Is it too much to ask for?" Tsuna closed his eyes, tired of having the same conservation too many times.

"Maybe not..." Hana said stiffly. "But tell me one thing, Tsuna."

"What is it, Hana-san?"

"This isn't some sort of revenge on Kyoko, right? You're rejecting her because she…because of the past between you and her?"

"What are you talking about?" Tsuna frowned.

Hana just stared at him like a hawk. Finally, the girl looked satisfied as if she found what she had been looking for.

"Good. Because if it that was the case, you better watch out for your ass. Maybe there would be some accidents with a lot of arrows to it."

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_**Extra 2** _

Narumi gazed up at the sky full of stars above, and for a brief moment, wondered why it seemed to look more beautiful than before.

Maybe it was because he didn't have to see his sadistic tutor's face. It really did brighten his mood greatly.

"Narumi."

He turned his head to the side, pausing at what he saw.

"Is it from the building?" Narumi rasped, raising an eyebrow at the dusty, brown cloth in Adelheid's hands that might have been a white drape a long time ago.

"I'm sorry." the girl said. "It's the only thing I could find at the moment. You are free to choose whether you should wear it or not though. If you don't mind walking half naked on your way home and maybe getting arrested for being mistaken as some pervert."

The blond's lips quivered a bit at that statement, like he wasn't sure what to say. Finally, he gave a crooked smile. "It'll be enough for now, I guess. After all, beggars  _ **can**_ ** _'t_**  be choosers."

He took the cloth and wrapped it around his bare torso, his brows furrowed at the rough fabric rubbing on his skin. Still, he held his chin high and his shoulder square, walking away in total confidence like usual.

"Let's get out of here. I'm tired."

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_**Extra 3:** _

"Mr. Fon, please come back with me."

The said man sighed, putting down the book he was reading. "You simply won't stop until I surrender, right? And the door is unlocked, so next time, please think twice before breaking into my room through the windows."

"Please, come back with me. Mrs. Ayako wishes to see you at the annual feast this year."

Fon scrutinized the girl in front of him, and pondered exactly what he had done wrong to shape his adopted daughter like this, distant and obedient to a fault.

The answer always came down to his niece, Ayako Hibari…How tragic.

 


	16. The damsel in distress

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At the first glance, Ayako Hibari seemed to be a weak woman, with her fragile appearance and soft speaking.

In her youth, she had always been frustrated by that fact, since she didn't get enough credits for what she had done -things that would have been taken in high regard had she been anyone but a girl with sickness plaguing her body, refusing to be small.

As she got older, especially after the crisis that had almost tore down her family -their position, their power, their everything- she started learning to embrace that once self-claimed weakness, coaxing her sharp personality inside and just letting the world see her in their dull perspective. After all, it was always so satisfying to watch others crumble on their knees as they finally realized exactly what destruction she could bring when being underestimated.

Naturally, she could sense her kind when she saw one. Fragile looking, but tough as hell.

She observed the way the brunet fought, and watched the way her subordinates, who were so-called competent and professional, fall down one by one, groaning and utterly failing to hold still a high school boy.

Five against one was hardly fair, but somehow the brunet managed to pull it off phenomenally.

"Are you Sawada Tsunayoshi?" she asked, having finally stepped out of her car after getting fed up with her subordinates' uselessness.

The boy, at first, stiffened at her voice. Then he slowly turned his head around, his dark brown eyes unwavering and full of wariness as they met hers. For one brief moment, she felt like he was gazing right through her pleasant mask and straight down at her dark inner.

 _Oh_ , she mused,  _an omnivore_.

Her mouth twisted, and formed the shape of a gentle smile.

Of course her son would never choose an ordinary consort for himself. It was a good thing that she hadn't come here unprepared.

"I'm sorry for this sudden invitation, but would you like to have tea with me? Don't worry. It'll only take a few minutes."

Seeing the boy's blank stare, she chuckled quietly. With a flick of her hand, a subordinate by her side immediately pulled out a gun while another captured one of the curious civilians that was still standing nearby, who happened to be a young man. The boy let out a yelp in panic and thrashed in earnest to escape, but to no avail.

How pitiful. But what did they say about it again? Curiosity killed the cat.

"Please, come with me. If you try to run away, I won't guarantee what fate will bestow upon this unfortunate person. It's so easy for a bullet to just hit somebody these days, if you ask me."

* * *

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Tsuna felt a vague feeling of falling into a trap as soon as he stepped into the sleek black car. It reminded him of some interrogations that always ended with lots of explosion, bunch of burning properties and a hellish nightmare of paperwork about damage control. All in all, it wasn't good sign.

The brunet smelled the leather seats and the subtle scent of herbs in the air, unfamiliar but soothing. It calmed his nerves a little, and eased his thought of just bolting the hell out of here immediately, considering how much tense he was feeling now.

He glanced at the kimono-clad woman that sat across him, and stared at the cup of green tea before him.

"I've heard that you like sweets, so I specially prepared Gyokuro for you. I hope you like the taste." The woman said pleasantly, taking slow sip from her cup. She quickly put it down though, and sat with her hands clasped together on her knees.

"Thank you, Ma'am. But I'm not thirsty." Tsuna politely replied, carefully keeping any emotion out of his tone. So apart from his full name, she also knew about his sweet tooth…

"Nonsense. You must be dehydrated from your previous performance."

_And whose fault is that?_

Tsuna heaved a small sigh, but made no move to show that he would drink anything.

To be honest, he was quite baffled to see that she would ever think that he would take the drink. Even a child knew better than to take anything offered to them in an unknown environment. And he was fairly certain that this drink was drugged, too.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No." Tsuna lied. "You're very nice, Ms…? Sorry, I don't know your name yet."

The woman chuckled. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd finally ask for it." There was a somewhat familiar glint in her eyes that made Tsuna suddenly felt very uneasy. "I intended to meet you earlier, you see. But my son made his opinion very clear in this matter. He's quite overprotective of his territory."

Tsuna closed his eyes in defeat, a migraine already on its way. Damn, he'd guessed it. " _Oh God_ , you're Kyoya's mother, aren't you?"The words slipped from his mouth before he could help it.

The look the woman gave him was pure amusement. "You've heard about me?"

"I wish I didn't..." he whispered. Barely meeting her gaze, Tsuna quickly said, "I'm sorry, Mrs Hibari, it's very nice to meet you and all, but I really have to go."

As Tsuna stood up, however, a surge of dizziness washed over him, causing him to stagger and almost fall to the rug below. Thankfully, he managed to save his dignity by placing one hand on the leather seat in time and dropped down his entire weight heavily on it.

"What…?" Tsuna asked, confused. He tried to move his arms, but it felt as though it weighted a hundred of tons. Turning his head slowly to the woman's side, he found himself under a scrutinizing gaze. He returned the gaze, and for the first time, he actually saw the anxiety in the woman's shoulder. She just sat there, rigid and silent, with the smile still gracing her lips.

For one brief moment, the brunet didn't understand. Then he started retracing his memories. How could he fall into this situation? He didn't drink the tea. He didn't find anything unusual. How...

A thought suddenly occurred across his mind.

"You... the air..." he stammered, feeling his body gradually going limp. The herbal scent was still thick in the air.

Remaining silent, Kyoya's mother kept her gaze fixed on him. After a minute, the car door opened and a man stepped in.

The newcomer, with braided hair and neat Chinese clothes, pulled a needle out of his sleeve and inserted it into the woman's wrist, giving a quick and neat injection. A sigh escaped the woman when she eventually relaxed her composure, leaning her back against the leather seat.

"Is this really necessary?" the man asked in concern.

"Everything is necessary,  _Onii-chan_." Kyoya's mother replied.

Her head inclined to Tsuna as she continued, "Don't try to fight it. The effect of the medicine is powerful. I've already had it tested several times. And please, don't worry. It only means to immobilize you for a limited time. There should be no side effect besides exhaustion and some dizziness."

Tsuna's gaze darted to the woman and the newcomer, no… _Fon_  (seriously, no wonder Kyoya and the Arcobaleno held such a strong resemblance in appearance to each other. They were technically uncle and nephew) and thought that his sour expression showed exactly what he wanted to say in this situation.

He had taken a single look at the kimono-clad woman and thought she was dangerous. The impending dangers neither lied in the (fake) cherubic smile she gave, nor in the delicate features of her body. No, the threat lurked in the darkness that hid in her eyes, in the nonchalant yet superior air she held close to herself like a cloak.

It came as no surprise to Tsuna that the woman introduced herself as Kyoya's mother.

He should have known better though.

Kusakabe had warned him about Kyoya's mother, and even went so far as to suggest that he avoid her at all cost. Tsuna had thought the teen was exaggerating at the time. But now, he assumed he had underestimated her.

The price for it was surely tremendous.

* * *

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"I'm sorry. Usually she's is not that...eccentric."

Tsuna tried his best to convey his disagreement via his glare. Kyoya's mother had abruptly departed into a different vehicle after receiving a phone call, so it was only him and Fon that remained in the car. Much like Reborn, the Arcobaleno was in is his adult form.

For some reason, he seemed to take it as his duty to apologize on behalf of the woman.

"She seems to like you. This girl, she likes to pester who she's fond of. But there's no malice behind her acts." Fon said, a nostalgic look flashing across his face. He continued with a smile, "In your case, I guess she's a bit jealous, too. As far as I've heard, your intimate relationship with Kyoya is something she's always wanted...Oh, it seemed we've arrived to our destination."

True to his words, the car stopped at a white house with a garden full of flowers. As Fon opened the door and stepped out of the car, Tsuna could see someone already waiting for them under the porch.

Noticing their arrival, that person approached and started greeting Fon.

Normally, Tsuna would pay more attention to them, but the brunet found it hard to concentrate on anything in the present, and one question suddenly popped up in the back of his mind: How did he move around now?

The brunet doubted that he'd have a cure soon, so the chance that he could walk on his own was rather slim. Without that possibility, however, there were no more alternatives other than using wheelchair, or let somebody carry him...

Tsuna involuntarily trembled at the mere thought.

"So this is the one she was talking about~" A stranger, dressed sharply and looking like he was in his late twenties, popped up in Tsuna's vision. His enthusiastic voice trailed off as he gazed Tsuna up and down, "Huh? I thought she mentioned something about a girl earlier..."

"Really?" Fon asked.

"Yes. She said she wanted to dress up that person as a queen..." The other man frowned. He seemed to be lost in his train of thoughts momentarily. Then he suddenly clasped his hand and shook his head, "Well, as expected from Ayako-san, always keeping the most important piece of information to the very end...Sorry, I have a lot to prepare now. Just come in, please!"

With that being said, the man promptly ran into the house, leaving both of them outside, quite confused.

Fon shook his head after a few seconds, "Well, I never did understand artists like a fashion stylist. I suppose we should follow him though."

The older man then climbed back to the car and, as it was the most natural thing to do, hooked his arms under Tsuna's shoulder and legs, picking the brunet up in bridal style.

Horrified, Tsuna could only look at the man with wide eyes, silently questioning the man's act.

A small smile was the only thing he received.

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.

Tsuna watched sullenly as the fashion stylist strode back and forth in the room, pulling out various clothes from wardrobes and constantly mumbling something under his breath. The man had a deep frown on his face, seemingly deep in his thought of choosing the best outfit for the brunet. Earlier, they had been informed that Tsuna was going to dress like a queen, which really didn't bode well to the brunet's mind.

This wasn't the first time he was forced into cross-dressing, but this definitely was the first time he literally had no chance of at least saying 'no' first. On top of that, he was drugged. That was the most important part.

It was truly a sad fact that he tended to meet new, yet always crazy, people in his daily life.

The sound of rustling in the background pulled his attention back to the reality. Tsuna blinked his eyes as the man hastily lessened the gap between them with a handful of clothes and observed Tsuna in a proximity that was too close to his liking.

"Ah, how difficult. Such a cute face. I can make him a princess in no time. But a queen…Maa, tough choice. I wonder what she was thinking…" The fashion stylist sighed dramatically, placing the clothes on the vacant couch next to the brunet, "Normally, I'd suggest using the kimono I had prepared three days ago for this special day, but let's just try on some other outfits first before we finally make the decision, alright?"

A choked sound escaped Tsuna's mouth when the man began stripping him of his shirt, then his pants with fast and accurate movements like he had done it a million times before.

However, as the older man's hand reached for Tsuna's boxers -the last item still intact to his body- intending to remove it, the thin line of Tsuna's endurance for nonsense situation finally snapped and went kaboom. His expression completely tuned into blankness, void of any emotion.

If anyone in his Famiglia saw Tsuna's blank face right now, they would know better than to going near him. He was in the Mood. Mukuro had bothered him once when he was in this state, and Tsuna had made sure the illusionist had learned the lesson not to do the same thing ever again.

He glared darkly at the man, growling at the hand hovering above his thigh. The fashion stylist, as if sensing the foreboding danger, abruptly stopped his hand. Slowly, his gaze averted upwards to meet with Tsuna's, his eyes widening as he saw the dark intent in the orbs.

When the man spoke again, it was with much more enthusiastic than ever. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down in his throat, and there was a red tinted in his cheek when he said in a wobbled voice. "Oh, I can see it…I can finally see it now! This must be what she meant! A rightful queen.  _Merveilleux_. I'll make you a magnificent Queen!"

There was a light chuckle in the air after that statement. With the sound of steps following moments later, Fon appeared in Tsuna's vision, holding a laptop in his hand. On the screen, it was an image of Mrs. Ayako smiling. If Tsuna didn't know any better, he would say Fon was just an errand man for Kyoya's mother.

Tsuna bristled at the look Fon currently gave him. It was as if it was the first time the older man  _really_  saw the brunet. It wasn't only for the scrutiny -by any means, he was used to being stared at these days- but more about the fact that in the man's eyes, he saw his own reflection, vulnerable and open. How he hated to see that. It was something he wanted to bury deep in the darkness, where nothing could touch it without his consent.

.

.

.

Tsuna did not even know how he got into these situations, sometimes.

"She seems to like you a lot, cutie." The man chirped happily while he fixed Tsuna's hair with bobby pins. As he'd been told, he was going to wear a long wig; a long, wavy chestnut one to match with his own hair and the  _perfect_  white Western styled dress. It seems that he couldn't wear a traditional kimono with his boxers intact. Oh, the joy.

"Do you see the way she talked? Anything to make you look dignifying and beautiful. She wants to make you the queen tonight, the apple of anyone's eyes. And don't get me wrong. It's her way of showing love. That means you've caught her eyes. It's wonderful. I've only seen her that excited around her son, who is just as emotionally stunt as her."

"What's wrong with you today, Hiro?"

"I'm sorry, Ayako-san. But I just want to make the boy relax. You know, he seems tense. It's not good if the boy doesn't enjoy it. I live to make my customer happy, after all."

"I believe I'm your customer, considering I'm the one who pays for your cheque. So stop your bubbling at once and do your job properly."

"Aren't you the best customer with the finest attitude I've got, Ayako-san?" the man gaped dramatically, yet the grin on his face just got wider.  **"** I see you're definitely in a good mood today. **"**

Kyoya's mother looked like she really wanted to squish the fashion stylist under her thumbs.

Everything around him was so bright and colorful that Tsuna had to close his eyes. The light started to hurt his vision. The anger had long dispersed from him, leaving only pure exhaustion and a sting of restlessness.

Then, he drifted away in a doze.

* * *

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The next time Tsuna opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by pure darkness.

"-now we will move on to the best part of our annual meeting: the tourney! This year, besides the usual reward, I've been confirmed that there's a surprise by none other than Mrs. Ayako herself! Ladies and gentleman, please, welcome our generous host tonight! "

A loud applause came along with the introduction. Tsuna didn't know whose voice it was, but he recognized that the next one belonged to Kyoya's mother.

"First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for coming here. I hope you won't find any problems tonight. Anyways, I'm sure you've heard about the rule of our tourney. I'll repeat it nevertheless. Everyone gets one chance and you must defeat everyone who has entered to get to the top! You will separate into two groups and fight on your respective platforms! You'll receive a five minute break per round! But before we start, let's see what special prize is! Open the box!"

It was in that moment that Tsuna realized he had been confined in a huge wooden box the whole time. Light broke in Tsuna's vicinity through a thin crack that soon evolved into a blast.

He squinted at the harsh light glaring at him from above, trying his best to pay attention to what was going on. So far, things certainly didn't look good.

The first thing he noticed was the crowd beneath the stage. Glancing around at all the faces that barely contained their curiosity and, in some cases, poorly concealed lust, Tsuna couldn't help but wince. He realized that he had made a grave mistake in underestimating Kyoya's mother. In his mind, the woman now was placed even higher than Reborn on his list of 'People to avoid at all costs.' At least the hitman's actions weren't as dramatic as hers yet.

There were two stages in the spacious vicinity: one of which Tsuna was sitting one, another was the raised platform in the center of the room that was square with a post at each corner.

"Now, who will be the first challenger?" Mrs. Ayako said pleasantly.

The whole stadium buzzed with hushed whispers, mumbling about the generous prizes spreading like tides in the ocean. Tsuna ignored them all. He searched for a certain face among the crowd, and didn't know whether he should fell relieved or disappointed to find none.

" _He's_  coming. Don't worry." A fingertip lifted his chin upward as Mrs. Ayako whispered to his ear. "Look, they're all so excited about you. Do you think so, too?"

Tsuna thought it was no wonder why Kyoya became the aggressive person he was now. The urge to bite somebody's finger off really appealed to Tsuna's mind.

He was slowly regaining his strength. There was no doubt about it. He could move his fingers, but no more. Tsuna estimated he would need more time, perhaps about half an hour or so before he fully gained control of his body again. There was no way the brunet would let anybody touch him without a fight, and Tsuna knew he could fight dirty if the situation called for it.

The first round came about with no heat. The winner, a brawny man with short hair, had easily kicked his opponent out of the ring. He made it to the third round before receiving the same fate by another challenger - a young man who looked just barely above twenty.

Finally, before the sixth round, Tsuna caught the sight of whom he was waiting for.

Kyoya Hibari crashed into the room after a loud bang of doors resounded through the room. Tsuna could hear a chuckle next to him, like she was having great fun.

The prefect looked seriously pissed off, Tsuna mused, taking in the vile aura and the blood-thirsty glint in Kyoya's eyes. Instead of his casual school uniform, Kyoya was dressed in a tailored black suit with shining shoes, his shirt unbuttoned and his hair a bit messy. He was scanning the room with dark aura, his tonfas already pulled out.

When those silver eyes locked with his, however, Tsuna felt a shiver run down his spine from all the intense heat underneath those normally cold orbs.

* * *

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**Extra** **:**

The first thing that ran in Kusakabe's mind when he got the news was, ' _No shit, Kyo-san is bloody killing me._ '

Because there was no way that the women in the black car was not Mrs. Ayako, and that meant they had failed to guard Tsuna from evil's hands.

Running his hand through his hair, he let out an enormous sigh, "Get back to your position. Stay alert. I'll contact Kyo-san."

From the faces around him, he could tell that they were all imagining the worst possible scenario that would happen once the prefect returned.

On a second thought (or it was more like an act to delay the inevitable), Kusakabe called Tsuna's mom first to tell her that the brunet was having a sleep over at Kyoya's house for the night. Then, he gathered all his wits and called the prefect.


	17. Interlude: Hibari's story

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR**

**beta'd by Pure Red Crane**

**Warning: Blood, violence.**

* * *

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_No matter what we breed_   
_We still are made of greed_   
_This is my kingdom come_   
_This is my kingdom come_

_When you feel my heat_   
_Look into my eyes_   
_It's where my demons hide_   
_It's where my demons hide_   
_Don't get too close_   
_It's dark inside_   
_It's where my demons hide_

_It's where my demons hide_

_- **"** Demon," _IMAGINE DRAGONS **-**

* * *

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It would be a lie if Kyoya Hibari said that he hadn't expected anything in his first meeting with his father.

There was nothing warm in his eyes when his father gazed up and down at him. With a shallow nod, the man turned his back and started walking fast, making the boy scramble on his small legs to catch up with him.

At the time, he accompanied his father to one of their territories – a small city next to a famous lake. They walked in and out of several buildings, talking with lots of people (mostly his father did, Hibari was more like a sullen shadow next to him).

Earlier, his mother had specifically instructed him to keep sticking with his father to memorize everything and learn how to do the "business." He didn't really understand much, but he was sure his father didn't like him, if the enteral scowl in his father's face whenever he saw him was any indication.

It was good. Because the feeling was mutual.

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The ambush came abruptly, and before Hibari could comprehend it, he was tossed to a nameless subordinate, running to a safer place.

They ran all the way to the riverbank. By now, the gunfire was all but faint noises far in the distance. Hibari's first thought was to let go of the hand still holding him.

"Let go," he demanded, then slightly winced when the man just tightened the grip on his wrist in lieu of a response. It would surely bruise later.

Rather than obliging, the man kept walking. The boy started struggling in earnest to break out of the grip, but stopped his efforts when he felt the cold barrel of a gun ghosted over his temple.

"Keep moving." the man drawled shortly.

Hibari was stunned for a moment before nodding his head, hiding his expression. It seemed good enough for the man though, for he lowered his weapon and smugly said, "Come on."

That was the exact moment when Hibari swung a clenched fist forward, striking between the man's legs. He kicked the man's weapon out of his hand, watching it fly away before falling into the water.

There was a moment of utter silence. Then Hibari turned his back swiftly and broke for a run, heading back to the battlefield.

The man chased after him, of course, and panic clawed at his throat when the boy felt the distance between them shorten.

The man's hands, like a snake, shot out and wrapped around Hibari's neck.

A heartbeat, and he squeezed, compressing the boy's windpipe, making it harder and harder for him to breathe.

A heartbeat, and Hibari's back hit the water with a loud splash. The water rippled and Hibari quivered. His hands clawed at the hands holding him, struggling to no avail.

He broke the surface of the water one, two, three times before the man deemed it enough and threw him back to the solid ground. Everything was fuzzing at the edges, and there was too much water in his eyes, in his nose, in his skin, in everywhere.

The hacking cough shook his entire body while he desperately gasped for air. It was as if his lungs were burning alive.

"How does it feel?" The man smirked, one of his hands pulling Hibari by his hair while the other was tapping on his cheek. "Bad boy. Be good."

Hibari didn't reply. He let out a few more ragged breaths before whipping his head to the other side. Metallic liquid immediately rushed in the base of his mouth the moment he bit hard on the hand that touched him.

"Fuck!" The man swore, trying to tear off the black-haired boy from his hand violently.

Hibari's cheek stung hotly by a particular strong backhand slap, which caused his body to be knocked down like a ragged doll. He immediately tried to stand up, but the man had already beaten him to it by hauling him up by his collar.

"What's wrong with you? Huh?" The man drawled, squeezing hard around his neck. He seemed satisfied to hear the boy hiss in pain. "Guess I should teach you a lesson before taking you back to  _her_. You little son of a bitch!"

Despite the pain, Hibari's mind was starkly clear. He heard a streak of curses spitting out above him, and slowly slid his hand down to the right-side of his boot where a small but razor-sharp knife was being held. ( _Precaution_ , his mother whispered when she handed it to him.) He waited and chose the right moment to strike back, which was when the man stopped to momentarily catch his breath, and slashed the blade to the man's face.

Immediately, the man yelped ungracefully, and Hibari watched the blood spill out everywhere beautifully, some splashing across his own face. Due to the instinct to cover his face with both hands, the man let Hibari loose, which was the grave mistake that the boy wasted no time to take advantage of.

As soon as the heel of his feet touched the earth, Hibari bounced back, giving a swift kick to the man's shin. The man staggered back reflexively, but his assault was far from over yet. Without hesitation, Hibari all but charged forward and impaled the sharp hilt of his blade right through the man's abdomen with both of his hands, knocking them both into the dirty ground with a heavy sound.

The black-haired boy didn't dare spare a moment to  _think._  He just went on with his instinct that continuously whispered to him that this was not enough.  _More blood_ , the voice - wasn't it strange that it bore a remarkable resemblance to his mother? – whispered furiously.  _He deserved it._   _He would have hurt you more._   _More blood. More._

And he complied.

His memories were somewhat hazy afterwards, the concept of time totally lost on him. Perhaps minutes had past, or hours had past, but eventually, somebody showed up, lots of people showed up. There were screams, yells, orders... A crowd formed in front of his eyes, but he couldn't pinpoint a single familiar face among it. Kasumi, Gondo…he could name all of the faces – his father's subordinates - yet they sounded dull to his mind. There was no meaning in their names.

Above all, the face of his father floated up, disgust lacing both on his expression and his tone. "I should have expected nothing more from you. You're just like your mother."

The edge of his face blurred as the black-haired boy blinked his eyes. He was well aware of how dirty his clothes had become, smeared with stale blood and caked with dirt. His face was beginning to swollen. He was itched by the urge to cover his ears in order to block out all the noise buzzing around him, but squashed it down in the end. He needed to remain on guard. And he needed both of his hands to act if needed.

Something hovered in his peripheral vision, and the boy lashed out abruptly. More blood spilled out. The crowd buzzed, but Hibari hardly made out anything comprehensive. Like a concerned animal, he bristled and hissed, but the thought of running away never did occur to him. Running was simply not an option anymore.

The noises gradually died out afterwards.

When he looked up again, his mother was looking down at him.

"You look like a mess," she said, crouching down and cradling his face up.

He flinched at the touch at first, but soon became relaxed when he realized nothing bad would occur. His mother wouldn't hurt him.

Hibari noticed her fingertips were tinted with red as her thumbs stroked his cheeks gently. The wound stung at the touch but oddly, he didn't mind much. His mother's concerned gaze held his own steadily. His body tensed when he was pulled into an embrace moments later that wrapped him in a warm and soothing scent. Familiar.

By far, it was the most imitation thing his mother had done with him after a long time. Hugs and affectionate touches had ceased since he turned four. They were replaced with instruction and strict words. Hibari was never a clingy boy to begin with, so it was okay to him. However, he supposed, once in a while, an embrace was…nice.

Now that the adrenaline running through his veins had vanished, all he could feel was hollow and exhausted. He closed his eyes tiredly, leaning his weight into his mother's chest.

"Let's go home, my son."

.

.

.

Hibari dreamt. He dreamt of shimmering water and the thin dread of drowning, of isolation from the rest of the world. There was always pain…So much pain that it caused his body to ache and bend and  _ruin_.

Sometimes, it rushed to him in form of senses - so quick and tangled that it was like looking through a kaleidoscope, each piece was distorted beyond savable: the choked noise escaping the man's mouth as Hibari stabbed his knife through his gut over and over again. The smell of blood heightened in the air, making his stomach lurch. He tasted the metallic tang rooted in his mouth. It was  _mad_  and  _disgusting_  and  _oh so_   _exciting_ -

.

.

.

"So, this is your nephew."

Hibari didn't bother to hide his scowl when he saw the man in Chinese clothes. His mother had introduced him as her brother, thus made him his uncle. He hated him. He wouldn't accept a relative who suddenly popped up after so many years being absent. Not like his mother.

Today, he didn't show up alone though. He was accompanied by a man in black with sideburn curls. A chameleon peeked out behind the man's fedora hat, staring at him with its round orbs.

He quickly knew the name of the stranger. Reborn. It was not his real name, obviously.

Later, he stared fascinatedly at the yellow flame bursting out from the ring on the man's finger. The warmth it provided wasn't something he would easily forget. For the first time in ten years, he felt healthier than ever.

.

.

.

In the dream, the blood coated in his mouth made him hungry, even though the taste of it was so horrible. There was a first time for everything. Took a bite and never forgot.

Carnivores devoured those below them on the food chain not only because they derived their energy and nutrient requirements from them, but also because they needed to prove themselves to be worthy of the claimed throne.

In the dream, he dropped the knife and sank his teeth deep into skin, tearing the flesh apart to sate on his thirst.

.

.

.

He went to Namimori when he was thirteen. There was no specific reason for his leaving.

His mother didn't approve of his choice. But she didn't carry out any act to prevent him, either.

"Time to fly," she said over their last shared dinner, then added quietly. "Don't fly too far though. I'll miss you."

.

.

.

It was impossible to contain two predators in the same vicinity without upsetting the balance. Look at his father and his mother –two forces of dominance trying to topple each other, and it was all but without declaring that there was a civil war in the Hibari's clan.

The weak would be buried; that was a given.

.

.

.

The outside world proved itself to be rotten and wonderful at the same time.

Hibari felt like he wasted every day engaging in dull interacts and frivolous activities with  _people_.

This was not chaos. There was order in chaos. This was simply a mess.

One day, a bunch of herbivores approached him with annoying smirks and ugly faces reeking off ill intent. They sprouted nonsensical things and dared to threaten him with their weak fists. He would have laughed at their stupidity had he hadn't been busy biting them to death, making sure none of them escaped the fate of being habitants of the hospital for at least a month.

In the very same day, he finally realized something important. It was no use to endure herbivores. He needed to set authority on them. If there was no authority strong enough, he should simply create one. To discipline whoever crossed the line. To bring order to the mess.

It was a wonder why he hadn't considered the idea earlier.

.

.

.

At the age of fifteen, he brought flowers to a hospital, strictly out of politeness, and walked into a spacious room with lavish furniture and separate bathroom. It looked more like a small luxury apartment than a hospital room. His father had surely tried his best to make the one living here as comfortable as possible.

His eyes immediately drew upon a figure sitting on the floor though – a woman who seemed busy drawing something in a notebook. As he approached her, her head whipped up to his direction.

It was a beautiful black haired woman in her thirties. There was no doubt she was quite a sight to behold at her young age. Not that she looked any less than gorgeous now, with her almost innocent look, sitting there with a curious look in her eyes and a white dress on her skin.

"Are you lost, boy? It's been quite a long time since I met a stranger here." She tilted her head to the side, staring at the red orchid flowers in his hand. "These flowers are so beautiful."

"You can have them if you want." Hibari said, handing the bouquet out.

"Oh, but isn't it a gifts for someone?"

"I've already met that person."

"Really?" Confusion flashed across the woman's face. Nevertheless, she took the flowers, stroking her thumbs over the soft petals gently. "Such a rich color. Thank you very much. My daughter would love these. She'd be very happy to see them."

There was a hazy look clouded over the woman's eyes when she mentioned her daughter. Meanwhile, Hibari scrutinized her face, and suddenly got hit by a hypothesis.

However, their conversation was put on hold when four figures entered a few minutes later; one of them was a teenager like Hibari. The frown on Hibari's face deepened at the newcomers. He expected them, but it didn't mean he would like it. Crowding in a room had a high place in his blacklist for biting to death.

"Brother, fancy meeting you here." Despite the calm appearance, his half-brother must have made quite a run here if the droplets of sweat trickled down the side of his face were any indication.

Giving no response, Hibari walked out of the room, no longer interested. He could hear footsteps pursuing him in the long corridor, and the voice of his brother when he called out to him:

"What are you doing here, brother?"

Again, Hibari made no reply, since he himself didn't know why he had come either. Maybe it was just out of curiosity, to confirm the rumor about the  _true mistress_  of the Hibari's clan. Who knew, he just  _wanted_  to see.

When he was about to come round a corner, a light weight was set on his shoulder, preventing him from walking any further. Frowning, he turned his head back to meet with the annoyed face of his brother.

"Seriously, what're you doing here?" his brother repeated, his voice tinted with impatience.

"Let go of me," the prefect stated calmly. "Or I'll bite you to death."

In the corner of his eyes, three bodyguards behind his brother visibly tensed, seemingly ready to pound at him at any time if necessary. For a moment, his brother seemed to be in great conflict, like he was silently gauging the pro and cons of releasing Hibari. Eventually, he slowly returned his hand back to his side. Wise choice.

Hibari went out of the hospital with more than one set of eyes burning behind his back. He made sure to keep a cocky smirk on his face all the time, well aware of the surveillances following his every movement.

One thing was for sure: the security here would be tightened at least ten fold after his brief visit.

.

.

.

Hibari watched the sakura petals falling down the terrace ground in silence, and turned his gaze back to his mother, waiting patiently until his mother looked up from her cup of sake, finally registering his existence.

"Kyoya?" his mother murmured, gazing at him through her half-lidded eyes. "Long time no see. Why are you here?"

He took the cup from her hand, and placed it out of her reach. "You called me."

"Really? I can't remember it. How strange."

Of course she didn't. It was just a lie. There was no call. But she wouldn't remember anything about this conservation tomorrow – she wouldn't even remember Hibari had been here in the first place, so really, there was no harm.

"Mother, I want to ask you something." He sat down across the table, and asked straightly, not wanting to beat around the bush. "I-pin, who exactly is she? I saw father's  _mistress_  several days ago. She looked like her."

His mother extended her hand in an attempt to pick up the sake cup again, but Hibari snatched it up. "Mother, your answer."

In the end, Hibari got more old stories than he could have asked for. Once upon a time, there was a marriage between two heads of two powerful clans in the underworld: a handsome young leader and a beautiful young mistress, falling in love and building a united, prosperous clan together. It was a match made in heaven. Or so they said.

Once upon a time, there was an arranged marriage with no one the wiser. The husband was the one who came from a clan thriving to the top but lacking the connection to the old blood. The wife was the one who came from an aristocratic lineage far long gone from its prime days. They came together purely because of the privileges they could provide to each other at the time.

Their united clan was soon to become the most powerful one in Japan. But there was a saying that went:  _"You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in."_  Their daily life after marriage was far from perfect, but they managed to keep their behavior at bay most of the time.

It was well known that the husband had an affair with a Hong Kong girl since he had been a young man. But the wife just turned blind eyes toward them.

Things started going ugly when the women got impregnated with the second child, almost at the same time the wife was pregnant. Both of them produced an heir for the clan.

At this point, the woman couldn't stand the thought to share her man with anyone else. So she planned to get rid of the wife once and for all. Her plan was cliché, but never getting old trick: poisonous glass. No color. No smell. But toxic as hell, except it was the two year old child who drank it, not the wife. Luckily, the toddler had only drank a little of it and had been saved in time.

Needless to say, everything went downhill from there.

The wife was never a forgiving type. She just didn't care about anything but  _her_  clan and her child.

The husband had to open his eyes at how ferocious his cold wife could become when he received the news that his only daughter, I-pin, whose existence had always been a little secret between him and his lover, had been stolen from the safe house. It was also the first time he had ever felt belittled by his very own wife with her cutting words and her swift revenge.

The evidence that was left could never be tracked to the wife, but everyone who had eyes knew that there was a little girl with her face hidden by long bangs sticking around the wife ever since  _that occurrence_.

It was safe to say that from that point on, the wife began to show her true colors. She outright refused to let the husband raise  _her_  child with her, and moved to her inherited island.

However, when the wife's child was eight, the husband finally got a hold of the boy through some one-sided bargain and lots of pressure. After all, the child was the legitimate heir of the clan. It was reasonable for the head to teach him, at least for a while.

What the husband didn't count on was that his lover had another plan for the boy. Blinded by her rage and despair, the woman tried to abduct the boy in the hope of an exchange for her lost daughter. She failed. The child managed to escape on his own, leaving a bloody corpse in his wake.

The child returned back into the arms of the wife, and the husband finally had a brief look at the webs of power his wife had weaved behind his back in the clan.

There was no chance for the woman, because the wife made sure that she would never pose a threat to them again. A month passed and this time, the woman was the one being kidnapped.

Afterwards, the only place one could find her in was a mental hospital.

Every part was like a soap movie, but with the villain coming out as the winner. Honestly, Hibari mused, it was something he could live without knowing.

"Kyoya…remember…don't give this to anyone." Suddenly, his mother's finger pointed to the left of his sternum, her voice in a hushed tone like she was telling a secret, "It'd only give you weaknesses to exploit."

"Like you and father?"

His mother froze. In that moment, she looked like a deer caught in a headlight.

Then she threw her head back and laughed a laugh that reminded Hibari too much of a certain woman in a mental hospital when she had been strained to take medicines. It was hollow and cruel.

Finally, the laugh died out and his mother inclined her head to him, smiling an angelic smile. It lighted up her entire face, yet the coldness in her eyes was still freezing, "You know what, never mind.  _We're cursed to love what we can never obtain_."

.

.

.

"Kyoya!"

He blinked his eyes a few times, disoriented. When the fog of sleep slowly lifted from his mind, he found himself staring at a pair of dark brown orbs, his hands wrapping around the other's neck.

"What are you doing here, omnivore?" His voice was low. The pulse under his hand was a steady rhythm.

"I just dropped by for a visit. You were sleeping so I didn't want to disturb you."

"You touched me." A statement. Hibari was sure he had acted out of reflex when he felt another presence in his guard zone.

"Yes. But it is because you seemed…upset in your sleep."

His cold fingers burned from the heat radiated underneath his skin.

Hibari unconsciously squeezed the brunet's neck until he saw the brunet's pupils dilate and his breath hitched. Just a little more force and he could easily end the life of the person who had seen too much of him, yet didn't shy away like other people. Just a little more and he could get rid of him, the person who always looked straight into his eyes without an ounce of fear or suspicion.

A broken sound escaped the brunet's mouth, the slight tremor in his throat reverberating into the prefect's hands.

Just like that, the spell broke.

Slowly, Hibari retraced his hands, withdrawing himself from their tangled position on the couch. Despite of the fact that there were only two of them in the office, the prefect could somehow still hear so much noise surrounding him like he was facing the crowds on the streets in the busiest hour. Covering his ears desperately, he tried to drum out all the resounding noise. Inhale. Exhale. He couldn't even breathe properly. He was trembling.

It took him a few moments to realize that his quiver was coming from the outside force. The brunet was lightly shaking him while talking nonsense to him. It seemed so, because the prefect didn't hear him, not in the sea of noise suffocating him at the present.

His entire body went rigid as two hands shot out and wrapped around his torso, engulfing him with warmth. His first instinct was to break out of the embrace, but another part of him –the large part of him, craved for the touch. He suddenly got caught up with a distant memory of a long time ago, of an embrace shared between a boy and a mother, but quickly dismissed it before his mind could stray further.

He blinked his eyes.

The noises were washed out while the calmness surged in.

"-it's okay, Kyoya, it's okay-"

The prefect let his hands down as he leaned into the brunet, resting one cheek against his shoulder. In this close proximity, he could perfectly observe the red marks on the brunet's neck, forming the shape of his fingers. An odd feeling of satisfaction sat inside his chest, staring at them. He was always a territorial person. It was by his own hands that those were created. It was as though…the brunet had been  _branded_  by him.

His throat also turned strangely dry at the sight of them, and the prefect had to summon every bit of his willpower to suppress the urge to just close the gap between them and taste the skin bearing his mark.

.

.

.

The black haired boy looked up at him from his sitting position in the pool of red. Blood dripped down his chin as the boy spoke: **"-."**

The boy extended a red stained hand to him like he was expecting something.

Hibari never knew the meaning of the gesture, nor had he heard what the boy had said.

The dream shattered before he could inquire the boy –his younger self-image. The dream shattered and broke into thousands –millions of shards. Honestly, there was no way out for him except falling down, all the way down, to the dark pit of water where light was but taunting, pitiful dots shimmered above.

The feeling of disorientation sat heavily in his chest, but he ignored it, dwelling on the eerie calmness residing here and tucking all his thoughts away. He could still breathe in the water. That was the most important fact.

The shards spiraled around him in a mad dance, continuing their path of destruction.

" _Kyoya."_

He looked up at the reflection of his mother under sakura trees, her face hidden behind her black strands. The first time he saw her in the drunken state was when he had turned thirteen. She looked at him  _(she'd looked right through him and seen a ghost out of him)_ and called him  _'Uncle'_  with the happiest yet saddest expression he had ever seen.

She tempted to drink all the sorrow away, wearing her heart on the sleeve once a year. Her empty laugh echoed in the silent space, cutting through the shards like a sharp knife.

" _Kyoya-san."_

Kusakabe Tetsuya proved himself to be useful constantly. In the beginning, he had just been a face amongst hundreds of faces lingering in his mind, useful but replaceable. Hibari first met him in a fight with a thug gang. Kusakabe had glared at him with eyes full of suspicion and distrust. Now he was irreplaceable and loyal to a fault. Funny how the table had changed after just two years.

No matter what, Kusakabe Tetsuya's fate had already been sealed the moment he survived the calamity called "meeting his mother."

" _Hibari-san."_

The image of Yamamoto Takeshi looked straight in his eyes when he said he would go to Namimori high school, even though he already had several athletic scholarship offers from other schools in Tokyo.  _I want to do this,_ _t_ he black haired boy grinned good-naturedly.  _I want to spend my high school days with you two._

So honest. What made him so sure that the prefect would go to the same school with them?

…Damn.

" _Kyoya."_

He automatically tuned out the brunet's rant as he saw himself being treated by the omnivore. It had become a habit for both of them that when Hibari was injured, he would come to Tsuna's place. He would deny it until his grave, but he really enjoyed taking advantage of it by coming to the brunet's room at an ungodly hour.

Unconsciously, he extended his hand, reaching to the shards that held the image of the brunet. To his surprise, his hand penetrated it. The next moment, there was no water surrounding around him, only lights.

He found himself in his office, on the couch with the omnivore. His fingers wrapped around the brunet's throat on a choke.

He looked down at the body beneath, his finger loosened, tracing the red mark that he had created. The sight of it made something deep and dark lurch in his stomach. His finger slid down the lean torso uncertainly. The impulse to bite was strong, but somehow, it felt different to the usual urge of tearing through flesh viciously like the child – _him_ \- had done earlier. Almost hungry.

Finally, he pressed his lips on the brunet's. Gentle at first, then things got more intense as he finally had a taste.

The kiss was sloppy at best and tasted like chocolate. Not entirely sweet, but bitter with just a smidge of sweetness. He expected no less though. The brunet was the reason why there were chocolate and baked goods in his drawers right beside the medical kit. Kusakabe always stored them, just in case a certain brunet needed something to soothe his sweet tooth tendency.

He placed his right hand at the back of the brunet's neck, entangling his fingers in surprisingly soft locks. He devoured what was within his reach.

The heat built up and up. The sound of skin touching skin echoed in the four walls; limbs tangled with limbs; breaths hitched in the throat. Moaning reached ears like musical notes in the air.

When everything was too much and when his entire body was tingled by pleasure, reaching its climax, Hibari jolted up in his bed with a name already at the tip of his tongue.

.

.

.

The tiny sparks burst into fireworks, just like the ones in the summer festival, colorful and bright  _(like the smile gracing his lip when it formed words. "Is it beautiful, guys? Let's go together next year.")_  They didn't wither away or disperse into darkness. What they did was burn even more brightly, constantly reminding him of the impact moments that bound his heart for a promise in the future.

He dwelled in fights upon fights in a blind search the cure for the tingling in his skin, the flutter of butterflies in his belly, until the truth lied bare before him. He thought his thirst of bloodshed was the problem.

It didn't.

.

.

.

He closed his eyes momentarily. Some images flashed through his mind.

A sightseeing trip in the spring, a promise in the summer, a flap of the wings in the autumn, a snowball fight in the winter.

Perhaps, perhaps…He got a grasp of what his mother had felt at the time.

_-We're cursed to love what we can never obtain-_

Just a tiny grasp.

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_Extra_** :

"You've changed," Fon said, eyeing the woman sitting across from him.

"Have I?" She chuckled. "Well, I tried to  _protect_  the clan when no one else did. And I succeed. Changing was the last thing I cared about."

Words like that never failed to draw blood in his heart. Swallowing the bile rising in his throat, he continued quietly, "I'm sorry."

Everything had changed since that Fated Day when he had been transformed into an Arcobaleno. He couldn't remember anything but his own name and what he had become for a long period of time. By the time he regained most of his memories back though, it was too late. He had quickly returned home only to find that his brother was dead, his clan torn apart in the crisis. And his cherished niece, the precious one who he had promised to protect at any cost, had grown up and turned into a person he almost couldn't recognize.

He knew it was impossible to redo the past, but the guilt of what he could have done sat uneasily on his shoulder. If only he had stayed in Japan…If only he had remembered sooner…

"Don't." She averted her gaze to the distance. "You can't help it. And I'd never be who I am now if I was still under your wings. But if you really want to help me now, take I-pin with you, teach her to be stronger. She'll be of no use to anyone if she's still around here."

Fon sighed. This was another matter he wanted to discuss with his niece. "You're a mother too, Ayako. Do you honestly think it is right to separate a child from their mother? You've already got your revenge." One that proved how much she had changed these days.

But it truly was nothing unexpected, after all. They all came from a long line of berserkers. When they first had a taste of their fight, they would never back down. His niece had found her own battlefield in the power game.

The smile he got in return was unnerving. " _She's_  in no condition to take care of herself, let alone a child. Besides, the girl made her own choice after I told her everything."

"You told her?" Fon asked, surprised.

"Everything." There was something akin to pride in Ayako's voice. "And still, she chose to stay by my side."

 


	18. You, me, and a mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> beta'd by Pure Red Crane

 

There was something close to satisfaction every time Tsuna watched Kyoya kick somebody out of the platform.

Oh, who was he kidding? He was really satisfied.

"I've never seen him fight that seriously in the tourney before." Ayako said, glancing at Tsuna. "Tell me, can you run fast, Sawada-kun?"

Tsuna ignored her.

"Oh, come on. We both know you can move and talk now, boy. Your sedation must have been worn off at least two hours ago."

Still, no reply.

"Fine. I'll do the talking then. Anyway, you need to run fast because the Hunt will take place soon. At first, I was worried that I could lose you in the middle of its madness, but you've proven your skills in fighting before, so I think there will be no problem. Sawada-kun, I want you to help me one more time, please."

"You really are the sort of people who like bossing others around, aren't you? I don't remember helping you with anything. And I certainly won't help you with anything now." Tsuna said darkly.

There was a total four people in the watch box. It included him, Kyoya's mother, a braid hair girl and a man in black. Tsuna couldn't see the girl's face because she was wearing a mask, but he could feel her glare shooting daggers at him for the disrespect in his tone.

"Oh, but it's you that made my dear son come home after such a long time! Look at him, he's really trying his best to win." Kyoya's mother smiled sweetly, "And do you honestly think you can just walk away like this?"

"Of course I can."

Ayako raised an eyebrow at his confident statement. "Do you have any idea where you are? You're currently on an island. I seriously doubt the rate of your success in escaping."

"I think I'll find a way." Tsuna's voice didn't wavered a bit, but he was a mess inside. He fervently hoped the prefect had the transportation to go back home, otherwise they would be in serious trouble.

"Kyoya's helicopter is under my control." Ayako continued like she was reading his mind. "Okay, let's do it straightly like a professional. You help me and I'll owe you a favor. I want a bait to lure the gentleman out to the Northern forest of this island. Sound good to you?"

"First I'm a prize, and now I'm a bait…" Tsuna taunted. "Wow, I'm flattered that I'm such a valuable object."

"Kyoya would be a participant in this chase. You can reunite with him and both of you can go home tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll give you thirty minutes to prepare before I announce the postponement of the tourney." Kyoya's mother shot him a look. "I hope I'll see you again, Sawada-kun. You're an interesting person."

.

.

.

The key to surviving in the forest was camouflage.

Tsuna found it really hard not to stand out like a sore thumb though, what with his pristine dress and long, brown wig –not exactly the most subtle colors in the sea of evergreen, mind you.

So, time to proceed with plan B: hiding.

Somebody thought it would be a good idea to constantly run and change directions when they were being chased in the forest. In reality, they begged for troubles acting that way. Running headfirst in forest was extremely dangerous if you didn't prepare carefully, especially in the kind of Laurel forest like this one.

There were layers of decaying leaves, twigs, fallen trees, shrubs…that would happily sweep you off your feet at the slightest chance. The rate of tripping on nothing was high too, since the ground below was dripped with fog condensation.

Tsuna had gained all this knowledge the hard way, and he had sworn to never forget it. His skin still itched painfully whenever he recalled these particular memories.

After choosing a hideout behind a big tree surrounded by tall bushes, Tsuna began his mission to find more suitable clothes while avoiding getting captured. There was no way he would simply wait here and not do anything. More importantly, he needed to vent some of the negative feelings out.

Fortunately, most of his chasers seemed to be ignorant of any danger, judging from their booming voices and all the loud noises they created. God, he could register their presences from _miles_ away.

It was even more absurd when Tsuna let them spot him though. Lewd words and disturbing stares were expected, but Tsuna couldn't believe how easily he could knock them out. All he had to do was duck his head down shyly to lower their guard then launch a sudden attack. It worked every time.

Not long after that, however, Tsuna encountered another problem: all the shiny shoes and fancy clothes these people wore. None of them suited him! The brunet wanted to twist his wig into knots in frustration. Why were these people all heavy build and bulkier? Where was the skinny one or twig-like one? How discriminating!

Disappointed, Tsuna wandered around in search of another hideout since his old one was full of unconscious thugs now. He scrunched his nose as he treaded the moist surface with a pair of oversized shoes, finding the whole experience very uncomfortable. But it was either this or continuing to wear high heels (he had thrown one heel at one of his chaser's head, it proved to be superb efficiency) or going bare foot, so technically he didn't have much choice here.

As Tsuna trekked over a chunk of wood, the feeling of being watched made him promptly turn his head to his left, catching the stare of a stranger.

His eyes immediately widened when he looked at the stranger up and down; slender frame, sharply-cut black suit with a white shirt tucking inside, stylish black hair with a clear touch of hair gel. It seemed that this person wanted to give an impression of maturity but his young face told the brunet that he was only a teenager.

It took Tsuna exactly five seconds to snap out of his daze, instinctively taking a step back while the stranger stepped towards him.

"Wait." the teen said, holding his hands up. "I mean no harm."

Tsuna frowned skeptically.

"I…I just want to help you. You must be very scared. Mrs. Ayame has gone too far this time. But don't worry. I'm here to help you."

The teen lowered his hand and stretched it out to him with a reassured smile as if he was dealing with a wounded pet. Tsuna could never mistake the pity in his eyes with anything else.

Tsuna cast his gaze down like a good, terribly shy girl –an act he had perfected within an hour, eyeing his sleek shoes calculatingly.

Everything was perfect. Their height was likely the same, too.

"Thank you so much." Tsuna smiled gratefully. He really meant it.

Poor boy would never know what hit him. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, Tsuna was a pro, even with all the silk cloth limiting his movement.

That was exactly what Kyoya saw when he found Tsuna: in the middle of forest, stripping a boy of his clothes.

"What are you doing here, Omnivore?" There was something strange in the prefect tone as his gaze fell down upon the shirt Tsuna was holding.

"Um, trying to escape from some bad men?" Tsuna said, quickly moving the piece of clothes out of the prefect's view. He was glad that he had not gone for the pants first. It would be quite problematic to explain.

"Why is my half- brother half naked?"

Tsuna almost choked on nothing at that question. Of course, it was just his luck to choose Kyoya's brother as his vict— _his clothing supplier_. Feigning an astounding expression, Tsuna asked, desperately trying to change the subject. "Your half-brother? I didn't know you have a brother, Kyoya."

"Now you know." the prefect drawled, not being fooled a bit. "Answer my question."

_Damn_.

"Well, it's complicated…" Tsuna trailed off, and quickly amended when the prefect seemed to lose his patience and raised his tonfas. "Okay, I just want another outfit to wear. I can't run around or go back home wearing something like this."

"And you think my half-brother's suit is better than your _white dress?"_

"You don't need to stress _'white dress'_ like that. And yes, I think it's definitely better."

Again, Tsuna was pinned by the prefect's hard stare. It was crystal clear that the black-haired teen disapproved of his choice, but at this point, Tsuna simply didn't care anymore.

The prefect seemed to deduce a same conclusion too, since he eventually broke eye-contact and turned his back, strolling off in the other direction.

"Follow me. I'll give you another outfit. And Omnivore?"

"Yes?"

"How long did you intend to hold onto my half-brother's shirt?"

"…I'll throw it right away."

Tsuna kept the shoes in the end, despite their bigger size. Beggars couldn't be choosers, he supposed. He just hoped his apology could reach Hibari's younger brother in the unconscious state, even though he was not very sorry at all.

.

.

.

"Underground tunnels in an island? Really?" Tsuna asked incredulously, turning his head to Kyoya, who pointedly ignored him for the time being. Their travel through the forest had been cut short after Kyoya led him down a cave and now this.

They were currently standing in an empty sphere shaped room attached by eight doors, most of which had a massive, specially-designed locking mechanism – some even took up the width of the entire door! Strangely, this scene strongly reminded the brunet of the hidden passages and underground labyrinths in the Vongola mansion.

His gaze soon drew upon one particular door in the farthest corner to his left, which seemingly lay bare to the eyes without any complicated looking locks set up on it. Getting a closer look at it, however, made the brunet's breath hitch as he noticed of the familiar crest of Vongola carved in the door's center.

"Kyoya, can you open this door?" Tsuna inquired urgently, his heart racing with the possibilities of what might lie behind it. He never knew that there was a place like this in Japan.

"It can't be opened." Kyoya said, a deep frown on his face. "Out of all the doors, only this one has no key, or any further information except that it was a vault."

"Is that so?" Tsuna furrowed his brows. But if the creator didn't mean for it to be opened, why not just hiding it entirely out of view? There must be a hint somewhere…If it was like some of the doors in the Vongola mansion…

Tsuna gasped when an idea crossed his mind. "Kyoya! The Flame!"

Vongola was well-known for its Flame Users, but hardly anyone was aware of some devices activated only by Flame charging. Tsuna had been truly surprised the first time he knew about them, since their function theory bore a striking resemblance to that of Boxes and Rings, only they dated hundred years back to the Primo's era. But he quickly accepted it though. Only chosen Vongola Bosses knew about the existence of these devices, since all of the inventions were strictly restricted in the Vongola underground labyrinth where only Vongola Bosses had access to.

The crest momentarily lit up with the color of orange under Tsuna's hand before dimming back to its original neutral color. It proved his hypothesis nonetheless.

"I think you should give it a try, Kyoya," Tsuna said. He had already explained to the teen how the Flames worked and how to activate them ages ago because of the prefect's insistence after their first meeting. It was finally the time to bring it into action.

Kyoya gave him a skeptical look, but complied nevertheless. Tsuna let out a small whistle as the prefect managed to unleash his Flame on his first try, making the crest glow brighter and brighter with the Cloud Flame until the door itself broke in half and slowly shuffled backwards, revealing the room behind them.

"Well, that's not exactly what I expected." Tsuna said as he took a brief look around the room, goosebumps rising across his skin at the sudden drop in temperature. The room, much like the nondescript door, was bare except for the _thing_ in the center-piece. The brunet found himself gazing straight at a giant crystal of ice, quietly marveling at how beautiful it looked.

It made some noises when the prefect struck at it a few times with his tonfas experimentally.

"It doesn't work like that." Tsuna shook his head at the prefect's attempts. "It's made of Sky Flames, so only Sky Flames can melt it…Hey, what's with that look?"

After engaging some sort of stare-duel, Tsuna caved to his own impulse and changed into his HDW mode. It was kind of awkward when he posed with his head leaning against the cold ice, using only the Sky Flame in his forehead to melt it down.

After seeing what were contained, however, Tsuna thought it was worth the efforts.

His hands trembled a little when he gently brushed a pair of plain black gloves with the Latin number I on them. He was so excited! These were definitely the original gloves of Vongola Primo used, lost in the wheel of Vongola history. To think that it would be on this unknown island for hundreds years…

"You can keep them if you want."

Tsuna immediately whipped his head to Kyoya's direction, not so eloquently putting his surprise in his reply. "Huh?"

"Finders keepers." Kyoya shrugged, his fingers looping around a pair of newfound handcuffs in a bored manner. The teen was toying with them while Tsuna examined the gloves. "And it's not like anyone else has an idea of what's within this room."

Tsuna assumed it was true. Come to think of it, the condition to acquire these two items is simple yet brilliant. You only need a Cloud Flame user and a Sky Flame user. While the Cloud Flame user would be easier to find, there was no guarantee he or she could ignite a Flame strong enough to open the door.

The trickiest part, however, lied in the Sky Flame user. Put aside the fact that they were already rare to begin with, they must also have had some knowledge of the Zero Point Breakthrough technique to know the method necessary to dissolve the ice. The chance to meet all of the requirements was ridiculously low.

And here they were, getting them completely by accident…

Tsuna was shortly jolted out of his thoughts by a clanking noise of mental in the air. He turned his eyes downwards, confused to see the handcuffs joining him and Kyoya together by the wrist.

"What're you doing?"

"Just testing to see if it works."

"Please tell me you have a key."

"…"

Goggled–eyed, Tsuna stared at the prefect's careless face. He hoped he was giving a very unimpressed stare, because the Skylark deserved it. How in the world could the teen have thought that it would be a good idea to chain them together in a middle of nowhere, especially without a back-up alternative?

_I think Alaude-san definitely won't approve of your choice in using his handcuffs this way, Kyoya._

Sadly, just as Tsuna expected, the teen was completely unfazed by Tsuna's complaint, easily tuning it out while dragging the brunet mercilessly through another door and into a dark tunnel. Once again, Tsuna was struck by the familiarities in the structure complexity here compared to that of Vongola underground, meaning it was full of dead-ends, twists, lethal traps and fake hideouts. He doubted he could manage to find a safe routine around here without a guide.

"Is it okay for me to walk around here like this?" Tsuna asked abruptly. He couldn't help but feel like an intruder.

"It's inconvenient to travel above right now. The Hunt has already begun."

A tremor ran through his spine at the words. Tsuna could tell that Kyoya also felt it because of the small rattle of the handcuffs. He stopped abruptly. A part of him knew he'd regret asking this question, but still, he continued with a steady voice. "Your mother called it 'the Hunt', too. What is it, Kyoya?"

Tsuna could hardly make out the expression on Kyoya's face in the darkness surrounding them –it was a proof of how Kyoya was accustomed to the paths here. He always stepped forwards with complete confidence, like he could close his eyes and still go the right way.

"You must have heard about my family from Kusakabe. Like he said, we are yazuka. What do you think when we say there's the Hunt?"

"I…" Tsuna ducked his head down, abashed. He couldn't bring himself to lie that he thought it was an animal hunt, considering he hadn't caught a glimpse of any kind of them in the forest earlier.

"Simply, the Hunt," Kyoya went on, "Refers to a manhunt. Infiltrators, traitors, those who oppose us to the point of being a deadly nuisance…they'd be secretly discarded. All the gathering, the tourney, they're masquerades for this ultimate purpose."

Tsuna's breath hitched. "But you…your mother…" He spluttered, quite overwhelmed by the thought of a mother who would involve her own child in something so disturbing. The brunet said bitterly. "I shouldn't have let my guard down. I'm sorry that I have to make you come here to… _rescue_ me. I am a nuisance."

"No." A pause, then the prefect continued, "My appearance would have been demanded for sooner or later to show them the strength capable of dominance as one of the heirs. A predator can never be weak. Once in a while, it's necessary to warn the herbivores what's on top. You…on the other hand, you are just here because you _know_ me. Kusakabe suffered the same ordeal. He went through less trouble though."

To say that Tsuna was stunned was an understatement. He was speechless. With a rather loud yanking, Kyoya resumed walking and Tsuna had to sprint after him lest he would be dragged around like a doll again.

_What a…fucked up situation._ Tsuna mused, suddenly having the urge to laugh hysterically. With Kyoya's input, all of the pieces suddenly just clicked into place. It led to one conclusion that made Tsuna seriously wondered if there was something wrong with his head.

He was here because he knew Kyoya, of course. But this was more likely a test for him.

A normal high-school student would be traumatically scarred for all the things he had endured in the span of day. Yet all of them were normal for Kyoya, who was practically brought up by the head of the most powerful crime organization in Japan.

Tsuna had a sneaky feeling that he would be removed from Kyoya's life if he couldn't bear all of these dangerous, weird things. 's behavior was oddly like that of his own Guardians when dealing with someone approaching Tsuna. If you can't withstand some level of insanity, then you were disqualified and couldn't go any further.

If it was the truth, then Kyoya's mother really cared for Kyoya. Just in her own twisted way.

It was fortunate that his tolerance was far from normal, wasn't it?

With new determination, he intertwined his hand with Kyoya's, once again interrupting their walk.

"I can't say I understand your situation, Kyoya. But if you need any help, I'll be there for you. I'll always be on your side."

He squeezed the prefect's hand in reassurance. The smile on his face grew wider when he felt the prefect do the same thing moments later.

.

.

.

The first ray of light came rather unexpectedly in Tsuna's eyes. He squinted under the sudden brightness, momentarily overwhelmed by the smell of salt and the aroma of flowers in the air. It was really refreshing, after a long walk through dark, dry tunnels accompanied with the scent of something rotten.

Their rendezvous turned out to be a cabin perched on a cliff looking over the sea led by a path of cherry blossom trees and other seasonal blooming plants. Tsuna soon realized that the only way to get here was through the tunnel they had traversed. This place was clearly the blind spot of the island, hidden behind the vast wall of tall trees.

The first thing he did after setting a foot inside the cabin was find some picklock tools to open the handcuffs. He pointedly ignored the huffs from the prefect as Tsuna bossed him around in the search. In the end, they only found several steel sticks and long hairpins. Tsuna knew they didn't belong to Kyoya, but it was still fun to tease him about them anyway.

His ability of pick locks was a bit rusty, but fortunately, he managed to do it in his fifth attempt. This, however, led to the next order of business. He was still wearing the white dress.

"Here. Try this." Kyoya handed Tsuna a plain white yukata from a wardrobe in the bedroom, then took down another one, announcing that he would take a bath first.

Tsuna wisely shut his mouth when he noticed that the yukata in his hands was a perfect match with his body. He ignored it the same way he ignored the traditional futon placed on the tatami mat floor just next to his foot. It was already laid out and purposely set up in a style for newlyweds.

Later, the brunet found out that their meal was also prepared in a wedding theme, with the display of dishes like Sekihan, Kombu, Kazunoko…

Clearly there was a joke here and Tsuna could easily imagine who the culprit was.

The only merits was that the food was exquisite (not that he expected anything less) and the feeling when he finally had a hot shower was a pure bliss.

The sun was setting down by the time they finished eating. A dark blue with hue of red dominated the sky, signaling the fall of day.

"Your mother is so scary…I hope the meeting next time won't be as terrified as this one."

"Next time?" Hibari perked up at that part.

"Yeah. Somehow, I have a feeling that this will not be the last time I'll have the _honor_ of meeting your mother." Tsuna heaved out a sigh. "By the way, is it okay to leave the unclean dress and accessories here?"

"It's nothing important. I'll throw them away."

"Th-Throw them?" Tsuna spluttered, "But it might have cost at least a fortune." And that didn't count the ornate crown encrusted with rubies, sapphires and emerald, along with other fancy accessories Tsuna had carefully placed on the bedside drawer in the prefect's room. Kyoya's mother wasn't been kidding when she said she would make him a Queen.

"You prefer to burn them?" Kyoya just raised an eyebrow at his outburst, like he couldn't have cared less.

At that moment, Tsuna's mind suddenly had a flash of his own Cloud Guardian's indifferent stare when the brunet complained about the ultra-cost spent to cover up the damage in most of his missions. He should have thrown all those reports in the Skylark's face when he still had the chance!

"Whatever. Don't burn or throw away anything! You will keep them, because I don't want to see them anywhere in my house." He took a sip of his drink, his eyes widened a bit when he recognized the taste of wine.

"Hey, no alcohol at your age!" Tsuna immediately snatched the cup of sake out of Kyoya's hand, even though he knew it was a futile act since Kyoya's face had already been flushing.

"Seriously, what's your mother thinking, putting wine around here like this?" Tsuna complained, and nearly dropped the cup when he caught himself under Kyoya's intense stare.

Their eyes met in the air for a brief moment. Then the prefect smiled.

It was hard to describe, but Tsuna felt like his entire body was petrified by that smile. Tsuna couldn't tear his gaze away from the prefect. There was something very appealing in the sight of Kyoya right now that the brunet thought he would seriously regret later if he didn't watch it.

The surreal ordeal lasted about few seconds before the prefect collapsed onto the tatami.

After making sure the prefect was just unconscious, Tsuna placed a hand above his heart to calm the pounding down. It was _so_ dangerous, he didn't prepare for this kind of heart attack at all. For a moment, he thought he had seen an angel.

Is it what they called ' _moe'_?

_It's no good_ , Tsuna thought. _I'm starting to sound like a pervert._

Tsuna immediately fled to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.

Then, he went to the bedroom to fetch the blanket and pillows. On a second thought, he also dug in several wardrobes and drawers to fish out more cushions and bring all of the materials back into the living room, where he soon built a cocoon out of them.

Kyoya didn't so much as stir when the brunet propped a soft pillow under his head and wrapped the blanket around his body. If only Tsuna could get this level of cooperation from the prefect every now and then, things would be much easier.

Tsuna got himself into the nest too, adjusting his body until he finally found a comfortable position to settle down in. He placed two cushions behind the wall so he could lean his back against them, watching the sunset with Kyoya fast-sleep right next to him. He silently watched the color of the sky become darker and darker, mixed with a tint of red and orange in the horizon line.

The prefect's features softened when he slept, Tsuna noted it with a smile on his lips. Tsuna carded his fingers through Kyoya's hair, brushing his thumbs gently over some locks of the teen's bangs and tucking wayward strands behind the curve of his ear. It reminded the brunet of the first time he met the prefect. It felt like ages ago.

Ah, how nostalgic. Over a year, and he had gone through so many things. Looking back, even he was surprised at how smoothly his bonds between him and the counterparts of his Family and old friends in this world went.

Once upon a time, some people had asked the brunet how he managed to tame so many _monsters,_ to put them under his command. It was just a figure of speech, of course, but it was enough to make his polite smile freeze and his words sharpen to the point of cutting.

Despite his Guardians' abilities of destruction and their eccentric ways (yes, he was well aware of that fact, being the one dealing with the paperwork they created), they were still human with hearts. They had _feelings_.

Shallow human. How could they not see it?

He never _tamed_ them. He _befriended_ them.

Just like he did now.

Tsuna could hardly imagine what kind of childhood Kyoya had experienced when he had a dysfunctional family like this. Even when the brunet was one of the Vongola successors, he still lived a pretty ordinary life until he first met Reborn.

He didn't know much about his own Cloud Guardian's background, but he could remember the feeling of liberty around the prefect vividly at the first time he saw him, and the feeling still remained so many years from then on. His Cloud Guardian was like a bird with wings soaring high to the sky, carefree.

However, this Kyoya…he was different from his Kyoya. He was younger, of course, but the trust he put in Tsuna after only a year made the brunet flattered and scared. He could never catch his Cloud off guard as easily as this, even if he was drunk.

"What am I going to do…? I think I've become attached to you too…" Tsuna whispered quietly.

It wasn't just Kyoya, but also the others in this parallel world as well: Takeshi, his mother, Hayato, Kyoko…

Tsuna clenched his fists, agitated. The original plan had been simple: see them, know if they are well, and move on…He should have guessed that things would never be so simple though.

In the end, he would be caught deep in the webs of bonds just as they were. There was no way to escape without hurting both sides.

It was all his faults. He hadn't thought it deeply before he approached them and made a bond with them. He should have…He should have been satisfied with the knowledge of them being safe and well, not meddling with their lives. He should have stayed away.

Would it be possible though, when he couldn't bring himself to feel sorry that he had met them, laughed with them, befriended with them?

He was such a selfish person, craving for warmth and kindness he didn't deserve. He wasn't the Sawada Tsunayoshi that they thought they knew. He was just a sinner digging their graves.

He would get punished for this, he was sure.

Suddenly, Tsuna felt so tired. It was like all his energy had been drained from his body, leaving him in a state of hollow emptiness. He closed his eyes and slowly sagged into the nest. Sleep would be one hell to get this night.

By doing that, he missed the moment a pair of grey eyes opened to stare at him, no trace of haze in them.

  


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.

**Extra**

"I don't remember teaching you to be so insufferably noble like this. Why aren't you doing anything?"

Glancing at the sleeping form next to him, Kyoya didn't utter a word. It was a good thing his mother didn't raise her voice any higher, but he cut the line anyway. He was still quite mad at her right now.

Sometimes, his mother was impossible to stand.

On a second thought, he shut his phone down.

He then snuggled closer to the brunet, using his arm as a pillow. After a minute, the prefect perked up again. This time, he rearranged their position so he could wrap his hands around the brunet's shoulder, resting his chin in the brown locks. The sleeping brunet made some grunts, but seemingly accepted the adjustment as he eventually leaned his head on the crook of the prefect's shoulder.

Satisfied, both of them went back to sleep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's interesting to write about Hibari's mother. I can't help but think she'd be angry to know that the prefect didn't "do" anything to Tsuna, especially she basically handed the perfect opportunity to him on a silver platter. Hence the extra ~
> 
> But it's not like she really like Tsuna though. She thought Tsuna is an interesting kid, but nothing more. Like Tsuna assumed, she'd have no qualm about getting rid of Tsuna from Hibari's life if she deemed it's necessary for Hibari's sake.
> 
> Btw, now we can see Tsuna is struggling further with his inner emotions. He finally accepted the fact that when the counterpart of his Family and acquaintances in this parallel world wear the same faces as his ones, they're not the same people. But it's too late for him to go back now. His action can't redo. It's sooner or later the truth about his identity would be revealed!
> 
> Besides, I also would like to note that this fic is a Tsuna-centric one. It's about his journey in a parallel world to find himself along the way, and I want to focus solely on it. So please forgive me if I don't dig in deeply about the schemes or Vongola or Narumi or anything else. I can, but it'll make the plot extremely heavy and long. If you're still confused or want to know more about some parts, just PM me and I'll try my best to clarify it to you (no spoil, of course.)
> 
> One more chapter and we can end the Daily Life Arc. I can't believe I can write this long (And chapter 18 ends with a lot of Hibari's scenes, wow!) Wait for R27 bonding in the next chapter, guys! Maybe I'll throw them on a date without anyone aware of it ~
> 
> As usual, this chapter can't be released with the help of my beta, Pure Red Crane. Thank you very much!


	19. The calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> beta'd by Pure Red Crane

  


 

_**Warning: Time skip (a few days forwards)** _

 

Nana was preparing lunch when she heard Tsuna's scream above, followed by a series of shuffling sounds. Startled, she immediately abandoned her raw cooking ingredients and rushed towards the staircase, taking two stairs at a time.

It took her less than a minute to get upstairs, and what she saw made her eyes widen slightly.

Tsuna, half-naked with only his pajama pants on, was clutching one side of his hip like he had been kicked at. Standing across him was Reborn in his black suit, patting the head of a chameleon on his arm.

"He ate my glove." Tsuna raised an accusing finger at the green pet, glaring daggers at the man.

"No, he didn't." Reborn replied calmly.

Nana wondered what made him so confident to say those words. Even in this distance, she could still make out the black leather finger-shapes hanging loosely around the pet's mouth as it was chewing them.

It was really weird though. She didn't know chameleons could eat gloves. Weren't they all herbivores? Anyway, she made a mental note to keep a close eye to their laundry from now on. Better safe than sorry.

Then the scene before her shifted swiftly. She swore she only blinked her eyes for a second, and then everything changed.

One moment, Tsuna charged forwards, aiming for the cloth in the pet's mouth. The next moment, he was pinned to the floor with Reborn atop, struggling to escape. The chameleon, however, seemed completely oblivious to their conflict as it hopped down the man's arm, and Nana watched in fascination. |With a short jump, the pet easily landed on Tsuna's brown hair and stroked his long tongue out to catch the remaining glove in Tsuna's hand to feed his mouth.

Nana held her breath at Tsuna's stunted face.

"Leon, spit out! You'll get a stomach ache eating these things!"

Tsuna gave Reborn such a dirty look that Nana thought the man would better sleep with one eye opened.

She had no idea how her son mastered the look, but was proud of him nonetheless. Now she was pretty sure he couldn't be bullied at school.

Turning her back around, Nana went back to her cooking.

Her eldest son would be more than capable of dealing with anything on his own.

She didn't expect the tension to last more than several days though.

* * *

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.

.

Sunday came with a big surprise in the form of two boys on their house threshold, one with a huge book clutched close to his chest and the other having two horns on each side of his head. Both of them looked weary, and judging from their dirt-tainted clothes, they might have gone through a lot of things before coming here.

Honestly, Tsuna thought they were an illusion when he opened the door.

"Tsuna-nii!" The boy with the book smiled brightly at the brunet.

Tsuna rubbed his eyes confusedly, glancing back and forth between two boys like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dumbfounded, he eventually said, "Fuuta? Lambo?"

Both of them looked around 9-10 years old. While Fuuta looked exactly like the first time he met his counterpart in his world, Lambo's appearance bore a strong resemblance to his teenager self with curly hairs framed around his chubby face, as well as his cowhide pattern shirt.

The brunet let out a surprised yelp as he was knocked back by the enthusiastic boy. The book sat heavily on his stomach with the addition of Fuuta on top. He gasped for breath as Lambo joined the bear hug a few seconds later.

Distantly, Tsuna heard his mother's confused voice call out to him as she rushed to the entrance, but it was really, really hard to concentrate on anything when you were pressed flat on the floor with at least twenty pounds settling down on your body.

Then he heard Lambo's voice, childish with a slur of a foreign accent:

"Mother! We're the long-lost sons of your husband!"

Tsuna could make out the background sound of his mother fainting on the floor.

_What the hell is going on here?_

* * *

.

.

.

"I'm really sorry! It's just a joke we tell when we need shelter somewhere. Sometimes we get kicked out, but it works almost every time we reach a new house. I think Lambo just acted on instinct this time." Fuuta said earnestly.

They were all gathering around the kitchen table with the two boys sitting across from Tsuna and Nana. Fuuta looked nervous while Lambo just focused on eating the flans that Nana had offered.

There were so many problems in the statement that Tsuna didn't know where to start commenting on. Perhaps it was better to just let it slide for the time being.

Tsuna was actually more than a little worried about his mother though. After waking up, she had muttered his father's name under her breath in a dark tone that Tsuna hadn't thought she had in her. Furthermore, she had gripped the wet cloth placed on her forehead a bit too tightly during the process.

Now, as misunderstanding was solved, she seemed revert back to her carefree self, but Tsuna had seen too much to foolishly think everything was fine to her. In this world, Nana's faith in her husband seemed to be not as strong as in his world.

"But you're just children. Where are your parents?" Nana asked, worry lacing in her voice.

Fuuta shook his head, a look of a kicked puppy on his face, "We…We don't have parents. I'm an orphan and Lambo ran away from his foster home. We don't want to go to the orphanage so we just wander around."

There was a pause of silence.

Tsuna watched his mother's smile fall off as she quietly took a sip of her tea, knowing full well what would happen next. As expected, she instantly shot a desperate look at him, silently asking for help. It was okay though, he already had an idea.

The brunet cleared his throat. "Do you have any place to stay now, Fuuta, Lambo?"

Fuuta, sensitive as always, quickly picked up the hint and shook his head.

"Do you want to stay here for at least a while?"

"We—! Is it okay? I mean, we don't want to cause you any trouble…"

"Of course, it's okay. We'd be happy to have you two!" Nana chimed in cheerfully.

Tsuna smiled at Fuuta's shocked expression. The boy must have wondered why things went so smoothly without any deep consideration.

It was his household style, Tsuna supposed, to defy the norm and act on impulse.

Anyway, since the decision was made, Nana happily came upstairs to check on the stock of Tsuna and Narumi's old clothes, as well as other supplies for the children, which left Tsuna alone with these boys.

He watched Lambo silently scarf down two flans in one go and wordlessly handed over his own dish to him, making the black haired boy look up momentarily and eye him with a confused look, silently questioning his action. Had it not been for his little outburst earlier, Tsuna would have guessed that the boy was mute.

The brunet gave him a reassuring smile, "It's for you. Do you want more?"

There was no reply. But Lambo kept his gaze on him the whole time until Fuuta chimed in. "Thank you, Tsuna-nii. Lambo, you should thank Tsuna-nii, too."

Lambo blinked his eyes owlishly before nodding his head, his voice quiet and shy, "Thank you, Tsuna-nii."

"You're welcome."

It was clear in Fuuta's body language that he wanted to talk about something with Tsuna, but still hadn't worked out how to bring himself to voice out his thought. Tsuna was about to press the issue a little when he heard a call from his mother.

With an apologetic nod to the boys, he went up and met with his mother, who told him about the lack of wearable clothes and other necessary items with a rather anticipating tone. As he saw the glint in his mother's eyes, Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's time to go shopping!" Nana exclaimed brightly.

* * *

.

.

.

It turned out his mother was quite convincing when she wanted to be. Tsuna didn't know how, but just two hours after her impromptu decision, all the residents in his house had gathered and headed to the Namimori commercial mall. Much like Tsuna, there was a resigned expression on Narumi's face as he obediently carried the shopping bags under Nana's order. It really gave Tsuna a headache to know what one could buy after just an hour and a half of shopping.

"Do you think this is too much, Mom?" Tsuna asked his mother, raising four bags that were currently hanging on his arms in demonstration.

"Oh, but we still don't have any pajamas for the boys!" Nana said, oblivious to the groans coming from both of her sons.

Just as Tsuna thought she was going to drag all of them mercilessly into another shop, she suddenly stopped abruptly and turned around with a smile that instantly made Tsuna put his guard up.

"Can you get some drinks for us, Reborn-san?" his mother asked sweetly to the hitman.

Tsuna watched warily as Roeborn simply ndded and started heading off to the café section. The alarm bell in his mind rang loudly as his mother then turned her attention to him.

"Tsuna, you go and help him too."

Tsuna was sure his twisted expression clearly conveyed his opinion of that idea.

"Go with him, Tsuna." His mother's smile didn't falter one bit, no room of argument in her tone.

As she gave him a light push in the back to encourage him, Tsuna heard her whisper: "I don't know much about what's going on with you two, but you should at least talk to him."

"Mom!" Tsuna said, ruffed, and sighed in resignation when Nana gave him the look. "…Fine."

"Good boy. Now go~"

* * *

.

.

.

Five minutes of sitting in heavy silence that could be cut down with a knife made Tsuna do a double take at his choice. _Perhaps this is a mistake,_ he thought, playing with the straw of his drink and looking anywhere but the man sitting across him over the table.

It was Reborn who made the first move to break the silence. He cleared his throat and put a pair of black gloves on the table, pushing them towards Tsuna. "I don't remember exactly what your gloves looked like, but I hope these ones are sufficient enough."

At his words, Tsuna recalled the image of the hitman lurking around the clothes area in the mall earlier. He poked at the gloves distractedly. It didn't come out as a surprise to know that the hitman had chosen the ones of the highest quality to give him.

Tsuna lifted his head up to see the blankness on Reborn's supposed it was an appropriate demeanor, since the hitman never knew what his gloves really were. Only Tsuna knew, because he had been involved with all kinds of Vongola things deeper than anyone else. Not that anybody here would be aware of that fact.

Giotto's gloves would simply disappear, like that, in the mouth of a chameleon after two days of resurfacing by a clumsy descendant…

How could he face Giotto with missing gloves? The thought alone was enough to raise his blood pressure.

"I don't want them." Tsuna suddenly snapped, making almost everyone nearby crane their necks towards their table. Honestly, the brunet didn't care about their stares, too consumed by his own irritation, but he lowered his voice anyway. "My gloves are irreplaceable. I don't need anything but them."

"I can't see why you're making such a big fuss over them." Reborn gave him a sharp look. "If they are that important, you shouldn't have carelessly thrown them around like that."

"So now it's my fault?" Tsuna bristled.

"I never said it was your fault. Don't put words in my mouth." Reborn clicked his tongue. "Anyway, what do you want? Since it's my pet that ate your gloves, I guess it's my responsibility to repay you."

"You guess? Oh, how kind of you! I'm so grateful that your pet ate my very important possession so I can get a favor out of you. How about you stop being a jerk first and just apologize like a decent human being?"

As soon as those words escaped his mouth, Tsuna winced. It was not like him to let his anger get the better of him, but he couldn't bottle all these negative sensations down. He couldn't help but feel angry at both Reborn and himself.

The blame was mostly on himself though, for being the one who placed Giotto's gloves on his study desk, rather than put them in a hidden box, far away from prying hands, or in this case, a prying chameleon. If he could do just that, nothing would have happened.

But how the hell could he guess that Leon, of all things, would see them as its breakfast?

And Reborn…Ugh, he was so _Reborn_ that it was hard to engage in a conservation without the urge to punch him in the face. The consequence could be…damn!

Across the table, Reborn narrowed his sharp eyes, which Tsuna returned with a level glare. The tension remained palpable in the air until a childish voice called out to the brunet.

"Tsuna-nii!"

Tsuna instantly whipped his head around to see Fuuta and Lambo running to him. At the same time, his phone vibrated in his pant pocket. Tsuna wasted no time to fish the phone out while moving over to save the boys some seats. There was no way any child would want to sit next to a scowling Reborn.

It was his mother on the receiving end, her voice bordering to panic as she told him that the boys had disappeared from the change room they were supposed to be in to try putting on some pajamas. Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose when he calmly reassured his mother that they had come to him, and promised to get them back home safely after his brief talk with Reborn.

He then looked down to the boys, who immediately looked away abashedly.

"I'm sorry, Tsuna-nii. We just wanted to see you." Fuuta said, biting his lower lips nervously.

Seeing it, Tsuna squished down the intention to lightly scold them for their action. Heaving a sigh, he said. "It's okay, but next time, make sure you notify someone before ditching them, okay?"

"Yes." they chorused, clearly relieved when Tsuna didn't press further.

With the new presences of the boys, the tension surrounding the table dissipated momentarily, replaced by a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Tsuna noticed that Lambo was distracted by something outside and followed his gaze through the glass-pane to see what had the boy so transfixed: a mother and son walking hand in hand on the pavement, laughing together.

Somehow, it hit him hard in the mind that the boy was so silent throughout their shopping. He had held hands with Fuuta the whole time, like the other boy was the only stable thing in the world that he could ground to. Once or twice, Tsuna had felt the child's gaze on his back when the boy had thought the brunet hadn't been aware of him, bearing through his skin.

It made him feel so wrong. Lambo wasn't supposed to be that silent. He should have been loud and bold, whining to the point of being an extreme annoyance sometimes. The same went with Fuuta.

Tsuna really, really wanted to cheer the boys up.

Slowly, Tsuna turned his head to the silent hitman. "I think I know what you can do for me, Reborn."

* * *

.

.

.

Tsuna regretted his decision the moment they set a foot in Namimori theme park. Just like the center mall, this place was filled with people, and even as it was, their group still attracted a lot of stares and whispers when they walked by like sore thumbs. Most of the looks came straight to Reborn though, who was dressed in an impeccable black suit. He looked like he belonged in some banquet hall, not an amusement park.

The kids, on the other hand, lit up their faces like Christmas was coming early and immediately sprinted inside, giving Tsuna a run for his money to chase after them. It turned out to be the beginning of some hide-and-seek game, including lots of name calling and bumping into many shoulders on Tsuna's part.

Within two hours, he found himself completely exhausted from all the running and checking for the safety and whereabouts of these two little devils.

A small ray of positive light was that he didn't have to carry the bags around with him. That problem had been solved when Lambo put all the shopping bags in his backpack that looked nothing out of ordinary, yet could store all four bags without any change of the outline shape. Tsuna also caught a glimpse of a very familiar bazooka in there, but wisely didn't question it.

In a way, it made sense. Instead of his hair, which was still curly but not styled in an afro like his 4 year old self, Lambo now had his backpack as an indefinite stockade.

Soon enough, they settled down on a bench facing a fun house, taking a short recess before heading back home. In the background, laughs frequently penetrated the air; people walked by, smiling animatedly. Around them, lives buzzed in a pleasant way.

Strangely, Tsuna felt detached to all of them, as if there was a tall wall between him and the vivid picture before him. The warmth on one side reminded him of the boys' presences just next to him as they clung to his arm, fallen into a fast sleep after burning their energy on all the games they had played.

"So, you know the Ranking Prince? And an amateur hitman?" Standing by the edge of the bench, Reborn asked casually.

Tsuna arched an eyebrow at the rhetorical questions. "Today is the first time I've ever seen them, actually."

"And you've already held enough affection to adopt them to your house?"

"I don't think it's a problem."

"No offence, but you don't strike me as a person who gives their trust so easily. Sure, they're children, but even you can notice the shape of weapons in that cow's backpack, can't you? You're practically inviting assassins into your house without a second thought."

"It's none of your business!" Tsuna hissed lowly, afraid to waking up the boys.

"I just think if this is the case, then why don't you open to me more?" the hitman blurted out suddenly, looking straight to his eyes. "From our first meeting, you've all but being hostile to me all the time."

"I don't…" Tsuna trailed off, clearly taken aback by the sudden jump in topic, but quickly regained his composure. "It's because you acted like a jerk first! And I don't like it when people pry into my life, which is exactly what you've done since our first meeting."

The hitman frowned at him, his mouth twisting like he was about to protest, yet, in the end, he pressed his lips in a thin line.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was having an internal debate.

What he had said was the truth, but it was also true that he tended to lose his temper around the hitman more often than to most people. And here he thought he had built a rather high tolerance when it came to Reborn's questionable antics. He had endured them for the long part of his life, so what made him allow Reborn in this parallel world to be capable of provoking him at the slightest action?

The answer was: he didn't know. It seemed natural to him to act that way. He was frustrated with Reborn, sure, but at the same time he also wanted to be closer to him. The hitman was a figure that the brunet simply couldn't ignore, just like the counterparts of his Guardians and friends. Yet somehow, the feelings were slightly different with Reborn…

It was really hard to describe…Tsuna grimaced.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Jolted back from his train of thought, Tsuna eyed the hitman confusedly, who pointedly averted his gaze somewhere in the horizon.

"I didn't know those gloves are so important to you. I'm sorry that Leon ate them..."

Tsuna blinked his eyes. "I…"

There seemed to be a lump in his throat. What should he say? _It's fine?_ But it was anything but fine.

But Reborn had apologized. Sincerely. And Tsuna knew how difficult it was to wreck a sincere sorry from a prideful creature like Reborn. Truth him. Facing line after line of bullets was much easier than that task.

It was still _unfair_ though. This was _cheating_. How could he continue being angry at him after this?

A glance told him that Reborn was silently observing him, but it was Tsuna who couldn't meet his gaze this time.

"…I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have yelled at you earlier. It's unbecoming of me." Tsuna said eventually, tugging at his shirt for no clear reason.

"No, you shouldn't."

"…Hey! Isn't it your turn to show more regret?"

"Unlike someone, I don't repeat my words like a broken record."

"I still won't forgive you."

"I know."

"So, does this mean you still owe me a favor?"

"Get off your high horse, brat. Do you know how much time I wasted on you and your little kids all day?"

"Jeez, it's because you're so uptight. Why don't you just participate with us? I'm sure it would have been a great look on you to join the boys on the merry-go-round earlier!"

"Not in the billion years."

* * *

.

.

.

Somehow, despite their banter, they were completely at ease. Truth be told, it was actually nice for both of them. For the first time since their first meeting, they could openly display their thoughts without holding back or inspecting motivates.

Now Reborn would know better than to just casually push Tsuna passed his limit of tolerance.

And Tsuna…he still didn't know exactly what he expected in the hitman, but he certainly felt content with how things worked out in the end.

A sincere apology couldn't correct what had already been done in the past, but it definitely was a beginning for something new and shiny in their relationship.

* * *

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.

.

The girl had an eyepatch with a chrome- skull on it, and her hair style reminded Nana of a pineapple. She had never seen hair like that in their neighborhood, but who knew, it might be some youth fashion trends somewhere. The teen was certainly not from around here, considering her unfamiliar uniform.

"Th-Thank you very much!" the girl stuttered, her face flushing as she clutched the chocolate box close to her chest.

It was the last limited box sold today, and Nana had given her own to the girl after hearing her desperate conversation with the shop employee.

_She is a really cute girl,_ Nana thought, watching her scurry away to join her group of friends outside – two boys and an orange haired girl. She waved her hand gently as the girl met her gaze through the glass windows and dipped her head a bit in a shallow bow again.

"My, it's good to be young." Nana said, going back to the task of choosing another cake for their desert after dinner. It was a shame that Tsuna's favorite was gone, but knowing his sweet tooth tendency, the boy just couldn't resist any type of well baked things. She hoped Lambo and Fuuta loved cakes, too. God knew these two needed more fat on their skin.

After that, she left the bakery and walked to the café across the street, where her youngest son was playing with his phone, waiting for her. He hadn't been exactly thrilled to hear that there were only two of them continuing shopping after the boys ran away, but he still helped her.

Suddenly, an uneasy feeling washed over her. For a moment, all she could hear was the distant voices of two boys, sobbing and accusing at the same time. It was through her will that she raised a trembling hand on her chest, soothing the frantic beats of the heart in her ribcage.

_This is for them_ , she thought desperately, _I won't fail my sons anymore._

With a renewed resolution, she steered herself forwards and casually greeted Narumi.

After their waitress -a cute brunette with a penchant of staring at her son a bit too long than necessary- served their drinks (a cup of tea and latte) and left, they both sat in silence. Eventually, the blond glanced up from his cellphone. "Is it time we went back home.?"

"No need to hurry." Nana smiled, stirring the spoon in the cup distractedly. "Besides, I've wanted to have a talk with you for a while now." She tried to put her stray thoughts in order, but in the end, she thought it was the best to just blurt it out bluntly. "Narumi, can you tell me what happened all those years ago, when you said Tsuna had pushed you down the river?"

Narumi frowned, clearly taken aback by her sudden question. He quickly regained his composure though.

"…I think I've told you the story before," the blond said eventually.

"Yes, but I'd like to hear it again."

"I don't want to speak of it, Mother. It was a long time ago."

"You don't want to or you _can't_?"

"What do you mean, mother?"

"Actually, you've never told me any details about that incident besides insisting that Tsuna pushed you down the river, Narumi." Nana sighed, pulling a folded envelop out of her purse. "This is the envelope you sent to me when you were in Italy. Told me to keep it and give it to you if you come back home and still refuse to discuss it with me. I guess today is the day. "

"…I did?" Narumi stretched his hand out to take it, but Nana had already withdrawn the envelope back to her side.

The blond arched an eyebrow skeptically at her.

"I'll give it to you on one condition." Nana said in a grave tone. "I want to hear the truth, and only the truth about that incident."

* * *

.

.

.

**Extra 1**

Tsuna's eyes drifted to the merry-go-round nearby.

He imagined the hitman riding one of the horses and had to secure a hand over his mouth as a laugh threatening to burst out. It would be glorious!

"Don't ever think about it again!" Reborn gave him a look of pure disdain like he had read his mind.

"I didn't say a word." Tsuna shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just a little warning."

"Fine." The brunet drawled disappointedly. As entertaining as it might be, he still treasured his life too much to actually suggest Reborn sitting in a merry-go-round. But again, it'd be really, really _fabulous_ …

.

.

.

**Extra 2**

"Tsuna-nii? You look pale. Are you alright?"" Fuuta said worriedly, jumping from the bed to approach Tsuna's seat on the chair. Lambo didn't move from his position, even though there was a glint of concern in his fixed stare.

"I'm okay, Fuuta." Tsuna tried to crack a smile, but it must have looked strained since the worry in Fuuta's eyes didn't fade one bit. "I just…It's a lot to digest. Thank you for telling me though."

"Tsuna-nii, I know it sounds ridiculous, but I swear it is the truth." The boy tugged at the hem of his shirt hesitatingly, a quiver in his voice as he repeated his story. "Lambo in the future knows you! He said he was your Lighting Guardian and told us to come to seek for your help! I don't want to give you any trouble, but my ranking ability doesn't work anymore and we can't find anywhere to go and…"

Most of Fuuta's rants flew out of Tsuna's hearing as the brunet was still lost in his mess of thoughts. Still, he had enough sense to pat Fuuta on his small shoulder and give him reassuring words that he indeed believed him.

The breath of relief drawled from the boys was in starkly contrast with the height of emotions inside Tsuna, none of them was positive. It took him all his strength to muster enough self-control to calm down the hysterical sobs or laughs threatening to rise from his throat at the moment.

Their story meant only one thing: he was still here after all these years.

.

.

.

**Extra 3**

There were some outsiders looking for Tsunayoshi Sawada.

When Kusakabe first heard the news, he had immediately called on an investigation and relentlessly gathered all the information to track down the suspects, as well as forbade any leak of Tsuna's whereabouts in the town. He feared that it would be another set-up from the prefect's mother, but, in fact, it turned out that the ones behind the search were just a bunch of total strangers who inhabited in an abandoned park named Kokuyo Land.

Kusakabe had yet to find their true intentions towards the brunet, but he was sure that whoever drew the painting of the brunet was quite a weirdo. While the background of the painting was excruciatingly detailed with the touch of three-dimensional space depth, the human in it was just a combination of sticks and circles, a poor excuse of human being in art. The only thing Kusakabe could relate to the brunet was a few lines resembling of the spiky hair.

Kusakabe was no artist, but even he knew when you drew to find somebody, the focus was all on the wanted person, not the bushes and old house behind that person.

Despite the poor misleading painting, the description of the brunet given by them was quite precise though: a boy about 5'6, brown spiky hair and chocolate eyes. It meant at least one of them knew the brunet, but didn't know enough to have a means of contacting him. And now, they practically pulled out a manhunt to find him.

….Tsuna really had a penchant for attracting weird people to him.

Anyway, Kusakabe needed to notify the prefect as soon as possible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a carefree, humorous sort-of-date in the theme Park for R27, but in the end, it comes out like this. Oh well, at least their relationship has progressed towards a lighter side. I guess more romance would be added after Reborn knows more about Tsuna and Tsuna puts more trust in the hitman.
> 
> As I said earlier, this chapter is the last one of the Daily Life Arc. In the future chapters, things will get more intense and the pace of the story will get faster.
> 
> I also want to put a head canon in this fic: Chrome's gifted in art when it comes down to background detail, but because of her anthropophobia developing from her past in the Estraneos Familigia, she just can't draw people.


	20. Finding someone isn't an easy task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
> 
> beta'd by Pure Red Crane

 

  


Strangely, the first thing popped up in Tsuna's mind after seeing the bloody red band was: _Well, at least it isn't teeth like last time._

Stroking his thumbs unconsciously at the stale blood on the DC's band, the brunet said, his lips pursed, "When was it sent?"

"It was sent in yesterday afternoon." Kusakabe drawled, dipping his head very low like he was in great shame. "I ordered an investigation team to track down the trace to the suspect's lair as soon as I had received this, but early this morning, they were all found unconscious near our school entrance…None of them has woken up yet."

"I see." Tsuna absently said. "It's not your fault, Kusakabe. I'm glad you told me about this."

Hibari always cloaked himself in an air of invincibility, so sometimes people forgot he was just a human being, much less a teenager.

In this world, Hibari had to pay for underestimating his opponent once again.

However, Tsuna knew he was the one in the guilt too, for being the cause of this mess.

After all, the main target of the Kokuyo gang was him.

* * *

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.

.

There was a pang of nostalgia when Tsuna stood before the entrance of Kokuyo Land. Just a year ago, he had been here, searching for a remembrance of his life, and now, when history created a repeat pattern of itself, he wondered what he should do.

The mission was simple enough: Get in, find Kyoya, and get out.

Since they didn't want to make a big fuss out of it, Tsuna only handpicked Kusakabe and Takeshi for the task. However, if Tsuna had gotten his way, he would have been glad to do the mission alone.

They took a long walk inside without any sight of a human being. Clearly, this entire place had been neglected for a long time. There were ruins and debris everywhere, clouded by a layer of dust.

As they drew closer to a big building with a sign saying _'Kokuyo Health Land'_ on the top, they finally saw a bunch of people bickering outside. At first glance, Tsuna could distinguish the names of the individuals in their group: M.M, Birdy and the Bloody Twins.

They all wore the Kokuyo school uniform. Like the last time Tsuna recalled, only M.M could pull off the impression of a high school girl student, albeit a rebellious one. Birdy looked like a perverted old man that got his hand on a cosplay costume, and the Bloody Twins…well, they still made Tsuna's hackle raise just by seeing their mutated faces and constantly twisted poses.

The brunet signaled his companies to hide themselves behind one of the concrete walls scattered in the vicinity, and craned his neck to have a better look at what seemed like a fight between the enemy, or more precisely: a fight between M.M and Birdy.

"You coward!" The orange haired girl all but spat at the elder man. "How dare you run away in this crucial time?"

"Why can't I?" the old man sneered. "M.M, even you can feel the death signs hanging above this place. There's no way we have a chance against the Vindice! No one can escape their hands when they come for one's head. They are the rules just by existing! It's just a matter of time before they find this place. And don't you dare think you're better than me! You just stay because of all the money Mukuro promised you. But, girl, even you know all the money in the world means nothing if you're dead."

"Shut up! Mukuro-chan can fool them like he did before. You just watch!"

"Oh, don't tell me you've fallen for him?" the old man sneered. "Girls! Always letting emotion rule their lives. Young ones like you can never think higher than your raging hormones."

"Enough!" the girl cried out. There was a thunderous look on her face as she raised the musical instrument in her hand up to her mouth. "I'll punish you! **_Burning vibrato_**!"

But the vibrant sounds of the clarinet never hit the old man, for he had glided back with a pace a man his age couldn't have possessed, and taken shelter behind the two giants, using them as his meat shields. What happened next was very disturbing, to say the least. Without any initial reference, Tsuna and Kusakabe simultaneously reached their hands out to push Takeshi's head down just when blood started spilling from the twins' noses, mouths, and ears. Shrilled agony chorused in the air, only cut by a heavy sound when the twins finally gave in to the inevitable death and dropped themselves on the ground moments later.

"Gigi and Zizi!" the man shouted, agitated. "Dammit! You'll pay for this!"

Despite the bold claim, the old man had already turned his back around and broke into a mad dash towards the entrance, ignoring the fallen twins to save his own life. However, it seemed the old man couldn't escape the similar fate, since he could only get a few feet away before getting hit by a round, huge iron ball and being knocked down to the ground with a startled cry.

"Hey! He's my _prey_!" The girl huffed as she inclined her head to the building entrance, outraged when her main target had been taken.

A tall male soon stepped out of the building, his face obscured by a kepi hat. In his hand, there was a ring chain attached to the huge ball hitting the old man.

"They're coming." The male drawled, retracting the ball with ease. "Better go inside and prepare."

"I can finish him off by myself, and I don't take orders from you!" Wrinkling her nose in distaste, the girl called out, yet she still followed the man.

It was not until their figures disappeared inside the building did the three teenagers come out of their hideout. They headed for the defeated man, only to find he was just unconscious, while the two giant men were a lost cause. Tsuna exchanged a meaningful look with Kusakabe, and together they subtly blocked Takeshi's vision from the gruesome scene.

"Maa, I've never thought a clarinet could do so much damage." Takeshi said, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he peered down at the fallen old man. "And the man holding the iron ball looks tough, too. It's a wonder how he can manage to walk around with it so easily."

"Well, it seems that the instrument functions like a microwave oven. The special sound wave from the clarinet will cause atoms to vibrate at an extremely high speed, and the substance will reach its boiling point instantly. That clarinet may look harmless, but it's no doubt a dangerous weapon." Tsuna explained, surprised that he still remembered the trivial information after all these years. "And the man…who knows, he must have practiced a lot."

"Woa, you sure know a lot about it, Tsuna!"

"I just happen to know."

"Wha–What's _that_? Guys, look up!"

Hearing Kusakabe's uncharacteristic gasp, Tsuna snapped his head up, and goggled at what he saw in disbelief.

It was as if someone had dropped an enormous drop of black ink in the center of the old building, spilling its essence all over directions. The darkness thickened with every movement, spreading all over the building like a tidal wave, concealing it with a thick haze and throwing it completely into shadow in a matter of minutes.

Kusakabe heaved out an unbelievable sigh. "What…What is _that_?"

_An illusion._ Tsuna had already guessed, but he knew it would be a pain to explain it to those who never had a chance of meeting an illusionist. This defy-logical stuff was best to be seen to acknowledge, not by hearing from someone.

Still, he had no idea that Mukuro was capable of implementing such a powerful illusion to cover a large area like that, or at least not in his teenager years.

Or was it a collaboration work with Chrome?

Either way, it was really a bad sign. Surely Mukuro wouldn't produce this grand an illusion on a whim. There must be something seriously wrong inside the building at present, and there was a high chance Kyoya was stuck in the middle of it. And hadn't Birdy mentioned something about the incoming of the Vindice earlier?

What had seemed like a simple rescue mission was now hinged with uncertain terms –dangerous ones- and Tsuna was likely the only one fully aware of them.

He had to think. _Quick._ Make decisions.

"Kusakabe, you stay here." Tsuna said, "Watch out for the entrance. If anything happens, contact me at once via phone."

"Tsuna-san?"

Tsuna continued before the teen could voice out any protest. "It's for caution. There must be someone out there in the worst case. Do you understand?"

"I…understand." Kusakabe answered reluctantly. Tsuna could tell it took a lot of affords for him to say these words. "Tsuna-san, please go and find Kyoya-san! I'll be there waiting for your good news."

"I'll go with you, Tsuna." Takeshi claimed abruptly as the brunet titled his head to him. The smile on his face never faded, but there was a hard edge around it that made no room for any argument.

* * *

.

.

.

Ten minutes later, Tsuna and Takeshi entered the building with flashlights in hands and a backpack that contained a small medical kit, several items for emergency and light snacks. Kusakabe had also insisted on adding more members into their team, to which Tsuna politely rejected. It sounded harsh, but the brunet couldn't dare splitting his attention to look out for other clueless people. Not in this dire situation.

Their steps sounded hollow in the empty corridors. The layout was hardly different with the one Tsuna recalled from the last time he had come here, sans the darkness. Even with the support of the flashlight, Tsuna felt a little claustrophobic as they trekked through debris and broken things in the path, pitch black shadowing every step.

"It's like a cut-scene from The Silent Hill," Takeshi commented good-naturedly, "Watch out, Tsuna! Maybe there's an undead nurse waiting for us when we open a door."

Tsuna's mouth twisted in a resemblance of a smile, "Maybe, but I think you'd better watch out for the chance of a wild beast lunging out of nowhere and knocking you down a hole."

Takeshi only chuckled lightly at his remark, clearly unaware of the inside joke that would make the Takeshi the Rain Guardian laugh wistfully. The brunet was glad the black haired teen had cracked a joke though. He looked tense when entering this place.

There was no such thing as a "Mafia Role-playing Game" anymore, so the black haired teen must understand whatever happened here, it was real.

And that was exactly what Tsuna feared. They weren't dealing with common delinquents here, but highly profiled international criminals, and unlike the brunet, Takeshi didn't have any experience in being exposed to violence and the gloomy side of humanity.

To be honest, the thought to exclude Takeshi from this trip had crossed his mind not just once, but Tsuna squished it down every time. Kyoya was a friend to Takeshi too, and as much as his protective side said otherwise, the brunet had a sinking feeling things would never be the same for all of them if Takeshi was out of the picture.

It would be really helpful if he remembered where the prefect had been held captive before, but Tsuna's memory only supported that it was Hayato who found him in the first place and nothing more.

On the other hand, Tsuna still didn't diminish the chance that Kyoya had got out on his own. After all their spars, the prefect had built a quite a lot of stamina and tolerance.

They headed to the second floor after making a brief tour around the first floor, thankfully not directly encountering with any members of the Kokuyo Gangs ( _Lancia, of all people, had given them quite a chase.)_ Tsuna had a nagging feeling they had missed something due to all the darkness surrounding them and running blindly around, but decided they could come back later for a double check. It wouldn't take long to explore the second floor, he estimated. He put a foot on the third floor, where Mukuro resided.

Little did he know, that was exactly where all the hell broke would break loose.

The first warning literarily flew at them as they stepped into the bowling alley.

Tsuna was the one who sensed the danger. He grasped Takeshi by his wrist in an instant and yanked him closer to his side. Moments after that, the brunet heard a wet, sloppy sound of something soft hit the ground, accompanied with some disturbing noises like it was bubbling and…melting?

A quick dart of flashlight showed him that yes, there was definitely something melting here, but it was not the suspicious dish with questionable ingredients strewed around, it was the floor under those said substances like it was burning because of acid liquid.

All in all, the scene looked strangely familiar… and the strong scent emitted from the mess also reminded Tsuna of a Poison Cooking incident, especially the culprit behind it. A hypothesis had already popped up in Tsuna's mind, yet it was not until the second assault came their way that it was proven right.

" _Where_ are you hiding my little _brother_ , you delinquents?" a woman's voice said sharply, another flying dish hurling their way.

The voice had sold out the whereabouts of their assailant and Takeshi took no time to direct the light in its direction, revealing a beautiful young woman with long, straight pink hair perching on a broken staircase. She seemed to be in a foul mood. Jumping down gracefully to them, she started in a threatening tone, two smoking dishes already in her hands. "Tell me where my little brother is!"

This time, it was Takeshi who tugged Tsuna aside, for Tsuna felt a bit numb as he digested the new piece of information.

Hayato was here too?

_What. The. Hell?_

They barely scrambled out of the harm's way. In the mixed dance of darkness and light, Tsuna noticed Takeshi had shifted his stance so that he was facing the young woman alone, hiding Tsuna behind his back. The brunet felt a warm feeling swivel in his chest, but at the same time, he wanted to tuck Takeshi back so Tsuna could replace him to deal with the woman who was obviously riding high in the homicidal wave .

"Bianchi, that's enough."

Tsuna perked his head up at the familiar voice.

"Reborn?"

"Reborn-sensei?"

The brunet and Takeshi said simultaneously, watching another figure come into view.

"You know these boys, Reborn?" the young woman asked, startled.

"Unfortunately, they're my students from school." Reborn replied mildly. "What are you two doing here? School is still going. You should be at your desk, studying."

"We're looking for Kyoya-san, Sensei. He's our school prefect." Takeshi answered truthfully. "We had information saying that he was here, so we went to search for him. Um, then we ran into Miss…"

"I am Bianchi."

"—Bianchi-san, right! I think we have a misunderstanding here. We have no idea what you're talking about. Who's your little brother?"

Bianchi signed, tugging a wayward long lock behind her ear. Her whole demeanor had changed dramatically after the inference of Reborn. Now, she looked rather calm.

"First, I'm sorry for attacking you earlier. I mistook you two for the ones who kidnapped my little brother…His name is Hayato Gokudera. Silver hair. Green eyes. I know he's around here. Have you seen him?"

Both of them shook their heads. Tsuna felt his heart pounding against his ribcage loudly. It made no sense. The Kykuyo Gangs had abducted Hayato? For what?

"Anyway, you shouldn't be here right now. It's dangerous." Reborn scowled. "Go back home quickly. We'll be looking for the prefect for you."

"But-"

Takeshi was cut off mid-sentence by a pained howl that echoed in the distance that sounded strangely like that of a wounded wolf. It was soon followed by the anguishing cry of a girl.

"Do you think it's the Vindice, darling?" Bianchi inquired in a strained tone.

"It seems they finally caught their targets." Reborn lowered his fedora.

"I-I have to find Hayato! What if he is mistaken for those criminals?!"

Reborn clicked his tongue as he watched Bianchi dash out of the room in full speed. It should be noted that as soon as her back disappeared behind the huge hole connected to the adjacent room, they all heard the sound of explosives and Bianchi's surprised yelp.

Without missing a beat, they followed her, only more alert when they entered the room. After the height of smoke was gone, two figures were visible: one was Bianchi, standing with a joyous expression, while the other was a silver haired boy, who was currently crouched down on the floor, hand clutching his stomach tightly like he was in great pain.

Moreover, the distant look in his eyes…Tsuna recognized it! Hayato's mind was being controlled!

"Hayato!" Bianchi called out happily, stepping forward with her hands wide open. "I've been looking for you."

"Stop!" Tsuna yelled frantically.

But it was already too late.

Like a cornered animal, Hayato reacted violently, throwing a handful of dynamites at them. Tsuna's hearing was totally blocked by the loud blow. He noted with horror that the floor beneath their feet quivered dangerously under the attack, its weakened structure falling apart due to the explosives.

The brunet desperately tried to make his way to Takeshi, but he barely saw anything beyond the thick cloud made of smoke and dust. His throat vibrated as he shouted the teen's name, but there was only a high pitched hum reaching his ears.

Suddenly, Tsuna felt a hand snake around his waist, wrap him in a strong grip, and within a moment, he was pulled backwards.

An eerie calmness hanged in the air as all the occupants still didn't recover from the shock. Then everything returned into full volume in a matter of seconds. Tsuna's face paled when he found out that he was facing a gaping hole. He called for Takeshi again, and let out a breath of relief when he heard a familiar groan in response.

It seemed that the black haired teen had crashed down to the first floor along with the rest. Squinting his eyes, Tsuna could make out the line of Bianchi's figure hovering around a seemingly unconscious Hayato while Takeshi was trying to sweep a layer of dust above his head.

"Are you okay?" Tsuna asked, worried.

"I'm fine, Tsuna! Just have a few scratches." Takeshi coughed. Then he tiled his head like he had heard something unusual, his expression suddenly serious. "I think we have been caught, Tsuna. Somebody is heading here."

Tsuna frowned, "Takeshi…"

"Hurry and find Kyoya-san! Once this is over, we'll have some fun together. Leave things here to me!"

Tsuna knew he couldn't say anything but agree now, so he nodded. "I'll see you later then!"

* * *

.

.

.

Now when their group had only two people, Tsuna found himself torn between suffocating in tension and forcibly making a small talk with his company. None of the choices held much appeal, to be honest.

So they kept walking in silence, and Tsuna kept shooting glances at the Reborn when he thought the hitman wasn't looking. He had no qualm in doing that, since he knew Reborn did the same.

Eventually, their eyes met mid-air.

"…What?" Tsuna said, cursing the defensive tone in his voice. Fortunately, the dim light helped to hide the blush rising on his cheeks.

"Another dead end." Reborn drawled, gesturing around.

They were in a small circular room with mirrors all over the four walls.

There would be no problem, except Tsuna was sure there was no such room existing in the first place!

His reflection looked nothing out of ordinary as he examined the mirrors, but Tsuna had ceased to question the unexplainable feeling when it came to his instinct. Finally, Tsuna stepped closer to the last mirror to the left. He gingerly raised his hand to the mirror, resting the tip of his fingers on the cool glass, and had to bite his lower lip a bit to prevent a surprised noise from coming out of his mouth as he saw his finger go through the cool surface to the other side.

Retracting his hand quickly, the brunet double-checked to make sure Reborn wasn't looking his way, and quietly walked right into the mirror.

For a moment, he almost expected to fall into an abyss or something dramatic like that. However, when he took in the vast space of snow seemingly stretching forever before his eyes, Tsuna had a feeling things were worse than he'd thought.

It took a while to adjust his eyes to the brightness after he'd spent a long time walking in the dark. But when he looked back, there was no mirror or whatever, so the only way was going ahead.

Once again, he was impressed at the real sensation the illusion brought to his senses. He felt the cold seep into his body, and watched in silence at the white puff heaving out of his mouth.

Tsuna braced himself as he dug his foot into the thick snow, slowly making his way with no sense of direction. It was hard to tell how much time had passed, with the white snow stretching on forever and the consistent pattern of the landscape filled with scattered fir trees, but as his limbs felt numb due to the freezing temperature, and the impulse to beat the crap out of the creator behind this grand illusion heightening at least tenfold, Tsuna finally saw some light looming over a corner.

The brunet had to rub his eyes a few times just to confirm its existence. When the light remained to where it was, he fastened his pace to the object. His journey ended as he found himself stepping in a small snowy meadow with a circular platform on the ground center.

There, basking in the light of a lantern floating two feet above, was a boy and a girl huddling together, seemingly lost in their own world. The girl rested her head on the boy's lap while the boy carded his gloved thumbs through her hair, stroking it gently.

The snow had ceased to fall in their vicinity, leaving only the cloudless sky with the moon hanging high above.

Tsuna felt like he had intruded something private, but as the boy tiled his head up to gaze straightly at Tsuna and as his weary look morphed into a sharp one, there was nothing left but confrontation.

"Another guest? Fufu, what a busy day." The boy stood up with a somewhat rigid posture, shielding the girl from Tsuna's eyes. "I don't believe we've met before. Say, who are you, little one? And what are you doing here?"

There was nothing but mild curiosity in that smooth voice.

_False facade,_ Tsuna thought warily.

"I'm looking for a friend." Tsuna said carefully, aiming for nonchalance. "He is said to have come here two days ago, but didn't come out."

"It sounds familiar." Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "I might or might not have seen a stranger lurking around here. What's your relationship with him?"

"I'm his friend."

Mukuro chuckled, "Really? What a friend you are, treading on unknown territory for the sake of somebody. Who are you, anyway?"

It was subtle, but Tsuna could see the illusionist's demeanor had changed. His shoulder leaned forward, and the brunet sensed a dark intention lurking beneath his blank expression.

"Look, if you don't want to help, it's fine. I totally get it." Tsuna replied, slowly taking a few steps back while keeping eye-contact with the illusionist, watching out for any dangerous signs. "I think I'll find a way out by myself…"

The moment he saw the flame flick on the Mukuro's right eye, Tsuna turned on his heels and broke into a run, yet he barely got out of the meadow as the ground beneath his feet shook violently and cracked into a big gap, where tall walls rose and blocked his way out.

_Damn_. Tsuna swore darkly as he pummeled on the wall to no avail. This was not the way it should happen _. It is only illusion!_ Tsuna chanted on his mind.

Facing with illusions never boded well for him, even if he had the ability to detect and see through them.

"Now, now, what's the hurry? I never said I didn't want to help. I think I recognize your uniform. Namimori High School, isn't it? What a coincidence! I did have a meeting with the stranger I mentioned earlier. He sprouted some lines about me being a threat to the students, but I never quite understood it. You know, lately I've been looking for someone too. The teen seemed to know something about it, so naturally I kept him here and interrogate him, but he never talked. Now I can finally see why. _He_ must have known exactly who I've been searching for." The black-haired boy pointed his finger at Tsuna, a smug look on his face. "You. Brown-hair, chocolate eyes, a small frame…You must be the infamous Vongola Decimo."

"I'm not." Tsuna deadpanned, cutting off the melodramatic mood rising in the air.

"…What?"

"I'm not Vongola Decimo." Tsuna repeated patiently. "You've got the wrong person."

The brunet took in silent amusement as he saw Mukuro's expression falter into confusion and then doubt. However, the illusionist quickly pulled himself together, and with that, a humorless smile graced on his lips. "You almost fooled me there, _Vongola_. I have to say your act is quite convincing. Surely you haven't forgotten about the incident in the Estraneo Famiglia's estate just a month ago, when your identity and your Sky Flame were revealed?"

For a moment, Tsuna toyed with the idea of denying his presence in the event, but quickly abandoned it. It was hardly relevant, especially after Chrome had already seen his face.

Tsuna cocked his head to the side. "I never said I was Vongola Decimo. I was just a tourist from Japan."

The glint in Mukuro's eyes told Tsuna that the brunet was treading a thin line here, and the illusionist's patience was rapidly worn out. "Your Sky Flame said otherwise, and a normal tourist can have any relation with someone like the Lightning Arcobaleno to know a fake when seeing one."

"Oh _that_ ," Tsuna blinked, offering a cheekily smile, "Actually, I was just bluffed. I don't know the Lighting Arcobaleno you're talking about, but I know some illusionists. I felt suspicious about the Lighting Arcobaleno and couldn't help but go test my theory. It was just a shot in the dark."

Mukuro's face fell for the second time.

Then he pressed his gloved hand on his face and cracked a mirthless laugh that sent goosebumps all over Tsuna's arms.

From his experience, it meant somebody should better watch out for a mind violation, because Mukuro was royally _pissed_.

"You know what? Screw it." The illusionist finally said in a cruel tone, all pleasant masks set aside. "I don't care if you're the real Decimo, Vongola! You have the power I need. That's enough for now."

The brunet signed tiredly as he dodged the first attempt of assault from Mukuro. Honestly, why was he always the one at the end of the rope?

But Tsuna didn't dwell on that pessimistic thought for long, because he quickly realized Mukuro wasn't as tough as he seemed. His constant assaults tended to leave too much opening, which Tsuna wasted no time to exploit.

He ducked his head down at one of Mukuro's swings of trident, but instead of moving backward to keep their distance, he charged forward and landed a kick on the illusionist's stomach, sending him sprawling on the ground.

He expected Mukuro to stand up right up after that, but Mukuro didn't move at all.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed as his eyes locked on Mukuro's immobile body, searching for any kind of trick. His body remained tensed up because he didn't believe the fight was over.

It was too easy.

But still, Mukuro refused to move. The only unusual thing was that the white snow under Mukuro was slowly turning red, like it was dyed by blood.

It confused Tsuna. Surely he hadn't kicked the illusionist that hard, had he?

He reluctantly crouched down beside the illusionist, cautiously opening his jacket. His brown eyes were immediately drawn upon over a shirt smeared with blood, beneath it was a chest completely swathed by bandages.

In the moments of astonishment, Tsuna could hardly spare a thought to anything other than Mukuro's horrible wound, and it cost him dearly in the form of a slash in his arm by the illusionist, sharp enough to tear a cut out of his sleeve and deep enough to draw blood. He shrunk back immediately, barely registering the pain and knowing full well the meaning of what a simple wound would do at the present.

_Game over,_ the glint in Mukuro's eyes seemed to say.

Tsuna wanted to snarl at him, to wash the irritating smirk out of that face, but his throat was trashed with bile, a vague taste of betrayal burning bitterly inside his mouth, forbidding him to say anything. _(It still hurt even when he expected it. How could he? How dare he_?)

His eyes widened and his breath fasten as the illusionist invaded his personal space until Mukuro's face was an inch away from his, and there was a bright purple flame shining in that heterochromatic eye with the kanji numeral "Six."

"Don't worry." The gloved fingertips caressed his cheek like a lover touch, careful and tender. Mukuro's voice was so sweet it sent a chill running down Tsuna's spine. "We'll become one, you and I. There will be no more pain. I'll take care of your body."

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Extra 1** :

Had Reborn had his way, he would have shot his so called student in the forehead with a real bullet and be done with it.

The brat had done nothing but laze around and chase skirts after he had returned to Japan. And now he was in his flight back to Italy doing God knew what, without any initial notification to Reborn.

The hitman only knew about it from Adelheid. By that, everything was too late to interfere. The blond was already half way through his trip.

Then came the order from Nono about a criminal gang.

Then came an upset Bianchi, crying over her missing brother.

Reborn really, really wanted to shoot somebody for all the problems he had to deal with.

**.**

**.**

**Extra 2:**

Of all the minds he had come across, Mukuro decided this one was definitely the most fascinating. It was no wonder his sister had been lost here, for the only way to go up was to go down. You have to let the ice swallow your entire body, and still be conscious enough to break through that layer of illusion using your own power, a lot of power.

It cost Mukuro dearly just to penetrate deeper, since he was already weakened after creating that darkness and snow illusion with Nagi, as well as from the wound after the ambush of the Vindice from earlier, but it was worth in the end. He finally found his way to enter further inside the mind of Vongola Decimo!

There was always a way to penetrate one's mind, no matter what protection was projected. And Mukuro always took great delight to peer and take hold of somebody, thus trapped their mind and host over their bodies.

As he looked around, however, he honestly wasn't prepared for what he was seeing.

The place he was standing reminded him strongly of a laboratory. That fact alone was enough to make him on edge.

He eyed the cold metal operating table, as well as other laboratory equipment with great distaste.

Scrunching his nose, he wandered around, but never quite touched anything. At some point, he reached the end of this landscape, which was blocked by a wall. Unlike the neat impression the rest of this place provided, the wall was scorched by dark stains, burned marks and stale substances that the illusionist recognized as dried blood.

All in all, he really couldn't guess this was the mindscape of the brunet. People tended to construct their mind palace in resemblance to that of their most familiar place, preferably their home in most cases, where they felt safe and cared for. What was it said about Vongola Decimo when his mindset was a bloody laboratory?

It seemed the brunet's past was not full of candy and rainbow things like the illusionist had assumed. His mouth twisted up in a ghost of a smile. He couldn't wait to dig up the darkest secrets of this mind and take over this body.

_"Hn."_

Mukuro immediately whipped his head around at the sudden voice, his hands gripping tightly on his trident. He had waited for any encounter since the beginning.

"You are…?" Surprise colored his voice as he gazed at the newcomer – a short black haired male in a black suit.

But his face… _his face_ looked exactly like the prefect's they had captured earlier, only older and more angular, like a grown-up version of that boy.

The man just stood there like a marble statue, but his aura couldn't be mistaken for anything but that of a predator, and the glint in these grey eyes said it all: the illusionist was deemed a prey here.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter was so long I had to cut it into half…
> 
> In case it's confusing, I'd like to say that Mukuro's gang had an unpleasant encounter with the Vindice before they come to Japan. They managed to run away, of course, but the Vindice would never give up on their chase. When Tsuna's group approaches the building, the Vindice are on their way as well, thus triggers Mukuro and Chrome into creating the illusion to cover the entire building up with darkness to buy more time for their scheme/ escape plan.
> 
> \- Why did Mukuro kidnap Hayato?
> 
> For more information about Tsuna.
> 
> Chrome, disguised as Verde, mistook Hayato for Tsuna's close friend since the brunet went to great length to rescue him in chapter 12. You can say somehow Hayato filled in for Fuuta as a mind-controled person in this world.
> 
> \- Who's the person Mukuro sees in Tsuna's mindset?
> 
> Tehee~ I think you have an answer already. I was so excited writting that scence, because Mukuro finally has a chance to take over Tsuna's body. We'll see whether he can succeed in the next chapter.
> 
> There, I hope it helps.
> 
> As usual, thank you so much, Pure Red Crane, for being my beta!


End file.
